Conway School District, AR

Original Research by School Decision on Conway School District

The Conway School District serves a sizable student population across central Arkansas, making it one of the larger public school systems in Faulkner County. The district enrolls students from preschool through twelfth grade and operates a substantial number of campuses, including multiple elementary schools, several middle schools, a junior high, and a single comprehensive high school. There is also a separate preschool facility. The overall enrollment is large for a district of this type, and the student body reflects a mix of backgrounds, with a majority of students who are White, a substantial share who are Black, a smaller but notable Hispanic population, and smaller groups of students who are Asian, multiracial, or other backgrounds. The free and reduced-price lunch data was not available in the source materials, so that measure of economic need cannot be reported here.

Academically, the district administers the Arkansas ATLAS assessment, and the results across tested grades tell a mixed story. Performance is moderate and uneven. In both math and English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight cluster in the upper third to just under half of students meeting the state's proficient-or-above bar. There is a notable soft spot in eighth-grade math, where the share of students reaching proficiency is lower than other grades, a pattern that might give a parent pause and something worth investigating directly with the school. Science results run moderately higher across these grades, with the strongest showing in the middle school years. When placed among Faulkner County's districts, the district's overall proficiency index sits just below the midpoint of the five districts in the county. This is not a low ranking, but it positions Conway behind some neighboring districts in composite academic performance.

Chronic absenteeism is an area the district will want to address. The rate is elevated relative to other Faulkner County districts, placing below the midpoint in a measure where lower is better. A parent concerned about student engagement and attendance may want to ask what supports the district has in place. On the resource side, per-pupil current spending is in the upper range among the county's districts, suggesting the district dedicates comparatively more funding to each student than most of its neighbors. The graduation rate was not available in the data, so that measure cannot be assessed here.

The housing market across the district's attendance area reflects a range of options. Home values and rents vary by zip code, with the city of Conway at the center and smaller communities including Greenbrier, Mayflower, and Vilonia contributing to the overall mix. Home values in the district's footprint sit somewhat above the statewide average for Arkansas but below the national median, and rents are moderate relative to incomes. The estimated monthly mortgage payment and rent levels suggest a market that is broadly affordable by national standards, though home prices have seen modest recent increases给了我。

The district brief turned up little of lasting impact in terms of recent publicly reported changes or major initiatives, so there is no specific recent news to describe.

For a family considering this district, Conway offers a large, established public school system with a full range of grade levels, modest and somewhat uneven academic performance relative to nearby districts, and a significant chronic absenteeism concern that warrants a closer look. The district's higher per-pupil spending suggests a meaningful investment in its schools. The housing market is reasonably accessible, and the district serves a growing central Arkansas corridor. A parent who values a large school setting with diverse enrollment and is comfortable exploring the causes of the attendance and lower eighth-grade math performance may find this district a reasonable fit, while those seeking top-tier academic results among county peers may want to examine individual school options within the system more closely.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

10,174

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 14%

Black 30%

White 48%

Asian 2%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

16 schools are officially reported under this district.

THEODORE JONES ELEM. SCHOOL

JIM STONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CONWAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

CARL STUART MIDDLE SCHOOL

CONWAY HIGH SCHOOL

ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

IDA BURNS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BOB COURTWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL

RUTH DOYLE MIDDLE SCHOOL

JULIA LEE MOORE ELEM. SCHOOL

RAY/PHYLLIS SIMON MIDDLE SCHOO

PRESTON & FLORENCE MATTISON ELEM. SCHOOL

MARGUERITE VANN ELEM. SCHOOL

WOODROW CUMMINS ELEMENTARY SCH

SALLIE CONE PRESCHOOL

CAROLYN LEWIS ELEMENTARY SCHOO

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

37%

Grade 3

43%

Grade 4

36%

Grade 5

42%

Grade 6

43%

Grade 7

26%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

37%

Grade 3

46%

Grade 4

44%

Grade 5

48%

Grade 6

40%

Grade 7

38%

Grade 8

Science

6 grades reported

38%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 4

44%

Grade 5

47%

Grade 6

49%

Grade 7

41%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$243,641

Year-over-year change+2.1%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$216K to $278K

vs. state typical1.10x

vs. national typical0.66x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
72032	Conway	$221K	+2.4%	54.0%
72034	Conway	$277K	+1.5%	39.7%
72106	Mayflower	$216K	+4.4%	5.2%
72173	Vilonia	$258K	+3.4%	0.5%
72058	Greenbrier	$278K	+2.9%	0.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,345/mo

Year-over-year change-0.1%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,138 to $1,435/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
72032	Conway	$1,281	-0.5%	54.0%
72034	Conway	$1,435	+0.3%	39.7%
72058	Greenbrier	$1,138	—	0.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,229/mo

Home price / national median income2.9x

Annual rent / national median income19.3%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$116/mo

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.