The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in Math. The lowest is 21% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Nevada Elementary School
Nevada Elementary School in Rosston, Arkansas, serves kindergarten through sixth grade as the only elementary campus within the Nevada School District. The school sits in an entirely rural, very small town that is residential in character with no downtown, no walkable streets, and no public transit. The town is experiencing slight population decline, and housing values are extremely low. The district also operates a combined middle and high school for grades seven through twelve, making this elementary school the starting point for all children in the district. A parent looking at this school is looking at a rural, high-poverty community where the school likely functions as a central institution.
The state assessment results from the most recent testing year show a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates varied noticeably by grade. Third graders performed relatively well, with about half meeting the state benchmark. However, in fourth and fifth grades, the share of students reaching proficiency was quite low. Sixth graders recovered somewhat, with roughly two in five scoring proficient. English language arts followed a similar grade-to-grade pattern: third grade was the strongest, with about a third of students proficient, while fourth and fifth grades had very low proficiency rates, and sixth grade remained low. Science results traced the same arc, with third graders performing best and fourth and fifth graders struggling. Among the two districts in Nevada County, Nevada Elementary’s overall proficiency index was above the average, placing it at the top of that very small comparison set. With only two districts in the county, that positioning is informative but limited; a parent may want to ask how the school’s results compare to similar rural schools across the state.
Every student at Nevada Elementary qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the high economic need in the community. The student body is majority white, with a substantial Black enrollment and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. The school is small, with a single class per grade. No data was available on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner supports, so a parent should inquire directly about those supports. The school is not a charter or a magnet. No program offerings beyond the standard elementary curriculum were reported, which is typical for a school of this size and grade span.
The community context matters deeply here. Rosston is a very small, declining town with sparse housing and a high poverty rate. The largest local industries are manufacturing, educational services, and construction, and the school district itself is likely the area’s largest employer. For a family, this means a quiet, rural setting with very low housing costs but also limited local amenities, retail, and employment opportunities beyond the school and surrounding farms or factories. The town has no library or public transit system, and the nearest civic and commercial services are likely in Hope, Arkansas, roughly a short drive away.
Nevada Elementary fits a family seeking a small, rural school in a high-poverty but tight-knit community where the school anchors daily life. A parent should be aware of the uneven academic performance, particularly the low proficiency rates in fourth and fifth grades, and may want to ask about the school’s approach to supporting struggling readers and mathematicians in those grades. No data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available, so those are topics a parent would want to raise directly with the school. The school does not serve grades beyond sixth, so students will transition to the district’s secondary campus; the quality of that transition is something a parent may also want to learn about. For a family prioritizing a simple, low-cost rural life with a school at the center, this is a plausible match.
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