Pulaski County Special School District, AR

Original Research by School Decision on Pulaski County Special School District

Pulaski County Special School District is the third of three public-school systems serving the Little Rock metropolitan area. Its name reflects a historical reality: the district was formed decades ago as a state-run entity to absorb students from the two other districts during court-ordered desegregation. That federal oversight ended in 2021, a publicly reported milestone that returned full local control over student assignment, transfers, and equity programs. The district now operates more than two dozen schools across a wide geography that includes parts of Little Rock, all of Maumelle and Sherwood, and the towns of Jacksonville, Alexander, and Scott, as well as rural stretches toward Paron and Perryville. Housing across this territory varies sharply. A modest bungalow in a zip code east of the river and a large home in a western Little Rock suburb can differ in value by a wide margin, and rental rates follow the same spread. The district weighted home value sits above the Arkansas state benchmark, though that average masks the range.

The student body is large and diverse. About half the students are Black, about a third are white, and the remaining share is Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. The district serves a full pre-K-through-12th-grade span and enrolls students from across that full band. Free- and reduced-price lunch counts were not available in the data we examined, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about its share of students from low-income households. The district maintains a mix of comprehensive high schools and a virtual academy, alongside elementary and middle schools spread among its communities.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, the district's proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science clustered in a mid-tier position when compared with other districts in Pulaski County. The overall proficiency index placed the district in the top quartile among the county's districts, though the county includes several very small or specialized entities that drive the bottom of that range. Looking at the raw rates, roughly a third of elementary students scored proficient on math and reading in grades three through five, with a gradual decline through middle school. Science results followed a similar pattern. The district has not yet reported a graduation rate, which is a gap a parent should clarify with the district. Chronic absenteeism is an area the data flagged: the rate sits above the midpoint among county districts, meaning a notable share of students miss enough school days to draw attention.

Spending per pupil is in the upper half of the middle range among county districts, which aligns with a system that operates a full portfolio of schools across a mix of suburban and rural settings. The district offers a virtual academy option, which extends the range of choices for families who prefer an online model. Families looking at schools within this district will want to look closely at individual buildings, because the student experience at a school in Maumelle may differ from one in the eastern part of the county. The core takeaway is that Pulaski County Special School District is a large, post-oversight system with moderate assessment results, a diverse student population, and a housing market that spans from relatively affordable to upper-middle. It is not a single-community district; it is an umbrella for a collection of distinct towns and neighborhoods, and a family's experience will depend heavily on which school their address feeds.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

12,290

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 12%

Black 46%

White 34%

Asian 3%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

26 schools are officially reported under this district.

CRYSTAL HILL ELEMENTARY

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BAKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLLEGE STATION ELEM. SCHOOL

MILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL

HARRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

JOE T. ROBINSON ELEM. SCHOOL

JOE T. ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL

LANDMARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LAWSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SYLVAN HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SYLVAN HILLS HIGH SCHOOL

SYLVAN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL

MILLS UNIVERSITY STUDIES HIGH SCHOOL

MAUMELLE MIDDLE SCHOOL

OAKBROOKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PINE FOREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

JOE T. ROBINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

DAISY BATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CHENAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MAUMELLE HIGH SCHOOL

DRIVEN VIRTUAL ACADEMY

SYLVAN HILLS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

33%

Grade 3

36%

Grade 4

32%

Grade 5

29%

Grade 6

26%

Grade 7

22%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

33%

Grade 3

37%

Grade 4

36%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 6

25%

Grade 7

27%

Grade 8

Science

6 grades reported

33%

Grade 3

36%

Grade 4

35%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 6

24%

Grade 7

27%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$246,286

Year-over-year change+4.2%

Range across 23 ZIP codes$112K to $478K

vs. state typical1.11x

vs. national typical0.67x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (23 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
72206	Little Rock	$133K	+7.3%	16.9%
72135	Little Rock	$357K	+6.8%	12.6%
72142	Scott	$301K	+5.9%	10.1%
72046		$133K	-4.1%	8.0%
72223	Little Rock	$478K	+3.0%	7.8%
72117	North Little Rock	$148K	+2.6%	7.7%
72210	Little Rock	$269K	+3.2%	7.3%
72120	Sherwood	$234K	+4.6%	6.9%
72113	Maumelle	$303K	+3.0%	4.7%
72118	North Little Rock	$132K	+1.7%	3.7%

Showing top 10 of 23 ZIP codes by land area weight

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,201/mo

Year-over-year change+2.7%

Range across 13 ZIP codes$1,001 to $1,598/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (13 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
72206	Little Rock	$1,018	+3.6%	16.9%
72223	Little Rock	$1,334	+0.6%	7.8%
72117	North Little Rock	$1,016	—	7.7%
72210	Little Rock	$1,419	—	7.3%
72120	Sherwood	$1,541	+6.3%	6.9%
72113	Maumelle	$1,311	-3.3%	4.7%
72118	North Little Rock	$1,001	+4.1%	3.7%
72076	Jacksonville	$1,036	+1.4%	0.9%
72209	Little Rock	$1,060	+3.7%	0.4%
72211	Little Rock	$1,126	+3.6%	0.4%
72204	Little Rock	$1,142	+4.8%	0.1%
72212	Little Rock	$1,598	—	0.1%
72116	North Little Rock	$1,096	+1.8%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,243/mo

Home price / national median income2.9x

Annual rent / national median income17.2%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$41/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.