Barton School District, AR

Original Research by School Decision on Barton School District

Barton School District serves a rural area in Phillips County, Arkansas, offering a full kindergarten through twelfth grade program. The district is small, with a student body that is predominantly white and includes a substantial share of Black students, along with smaller numbers of Hispanic and multiracial students. The two schools in the district, Barton Elementary and Barton High School, form a single academic pathway for families in the communities around Lexa, Poplar Grove, and the Helena-West Helena area.

Academically, the district’s state assessment results show a clear pattern. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above in grades three through eight ranges from roughly a quarter or less, with the lower middle grades falling below a fifth. English language arts proficiency is similarly low, running from about a sixth to a quarter across those grades. Science scores are somewhat higher, particularly in the upper elementary and middle school grades, where close to a third of students meet the bar in some years. When placed among Phillips County’s districts, the district’s overall proficiency index sits at the top of the group. That is a relative strength within the county, but the absolute numbers remain low. A parent evaluating the district should understand that the academic bar for proficiency is not being met by the majority of students at any grade level tested.

The district’s chronic absenteeism rate is notably high, placing it in the bottom quarter among the county’s districts. This is a soft spot that families may want to explore further with the school. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range locally, though spending alone does not tell the full story of resource allocation. No graduation rate data were available, so it is not possible to assess how many students finish high school on time. That gap is common for districts that do not report the metric, but it leaves a key question unanswered.

The housing market in the district’s area is modest. Home values are well below state and national averages, and recent trends show a decline. The typical home is relatively affordable, especially when compared to national median household income, though local income figures are not available in this data. The economic context nationally shows a moderate unemployment rate and stable mortgage rates, but the district’s own economic conditions are not captured here.

The district brief found no major recent changes reported publicly, such as leadership turnover, bond measures, or program launches. The district appears to be operating without recent disruption, but also without a visible initiative to lift academic performance or address absenteeism. Families looking for a small, rural district with a straightforward K-12 structure will find that here, but they should be prepared for low test scores and will want to ask about the support available for students who are behind grade level.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

610

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 4%

Black 35%

White 57%

Asian 1%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

BARTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BARTON HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

26%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

28%

Grade 5

17%

Grade 6

20%

Grade 7

17%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

18%

Grade 3

23%

Grade 4

23%

Grade 5

19%

Grade 6

18%

Grade 7

15%

Grade 8

Science

6 grades reported

32%

Grade 3

24%

Grade 4

26%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 6

31%

Grade 7

33%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$76,601

Year-over-year change-7.6%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$39K to $97K

vs. state typical0.34x

vs. national typical0.21x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
72355	Lexa	$97K	-8.3%	54.4%
72342	Helena - West Helena	$43K	-11.2%	21.0%
72374	Poplar Grove	$74K	-3.6%	15.2%
72390	Helena - West Helena	$39K	-1.4%	9.1%
72366	Marvell	$56K	-4.1%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$387/mo

Home price / national median income0.9x

Comparison

State typical home value$222,300 (+3.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.