The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Math. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Rivercrest Elementary School
Rivercrest Elementary serves students from preschool through sixth grade in Wilson, Arkansas, a small town in Mississippi County that began as a company town built around a cotton empire. The entire downtown commercial district was constructed in the Tudor Revival style, and the streets are lined with large cottonwood trees, giving the town a distinctive planned aesthetic. The population has declined steadily over the decades as farming mechanized, but recent years have brought notable investment from the Lawrence Group, which bought the town and its operations and has funded renovations, free Wi-Fi, a luxury hotel, and a golf course. Many residents now commute to larger communities like Osceola or Blytheville for work. Civic anchors include the Hampson Archeological Museum State Park and the intersection of U.S. Route 61 and Arkansas Highway 14, part of the Great River Road. A private academy called the Delta School closed in 2024, and its campus was taken over by Arkansas Northeastern College.
The school serves a student body that is largely white, with a substantial share of Black students and smaller groups of Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Native American students, according to the most recent enrollment data. Every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which signals that this is a high-poverty school. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary covering pre-K through sixth grade, with class sizes that are manageable across the grade levels.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year give a mixed picture. On the ATLAS assessment, proficiency rates in math varied by grade, with fourth grade showing the strongest results in that subject, while third and sixth grades had weaker ones. In English language arts, the school saw its lowest proficiency in third grade, with improvement across fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, where sixth grade posted the strongest reading results. Science scores were fairly consistent across grades, with fourth grade being the soft spot. Overall, the school's combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint relative to other elementary schools in Mississippi County. A parent may want to ask the school about what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting the state benchmark, especially in the earlier grades.
We looked for the school's student-to-teacher ratio, discipline data, course access, and attendance rates, but those figures were not available in the data provided. The same is true for the district. The district brief yielded no parent-relevant changes such as construction projects, curriculum shifts, or budget referendums in recent years; it is possible the district has not had a major change that would affect a family's decision, but a parent may want to contact the district office directly for current initiatives. Civil rights data, including special education and English learner counts, was also missing from the data we received.
For families considering this school, the academic test results are below average within the county, and every student comes from a low-income household, which often correlates with additional needs in the classroom. The broader community context in Wilson shows a town that has lost population but is actively investing in its built environment and hospitality offerings. Housing costs are not reported here, but the town's small size and rural location mean that real estate likely differs substantially from a metro area. The town has a distinctive character, with its Tudor-style downtown and a museum on site, but families who want access to a wider array of shopping, employment, or cultural amenities will likely drive to Osceola or Blytheville.
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