The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Math. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lisa Academy North Elementary School
Lisa Academy North Elementary School, a public charter school in Sherwood, serves kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Lisa Academy network, a statewide Arkansas charter system that operates multiple campuses. The school sits in an expanding suburban corridor of the Little Rock metro area, a city that has grown steadily through annexations and new development. Families in Sherwood and surrounding parts of Pulaski County who want a STEM-focused elementary option within a charter framework are the primary audience for this school.
State assessment data from the 2024-2025 school year, the most recent available, provides a clear picture of academic performance. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was modest in third grade, notably higher in fourth grade, and reached its best level in fifth grade. English language arts results followed a similar upward pattern, with the fifth-grade cohort outperforming the younger grades. Science proficiency rates were lower overall, though again fifth graders showed the strongest performance among the three tested grades. When all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the elementary-serving entities within the Pulaski County district comparison set. That is a meaningful strength: relative to the other available options in the same county, this school’s academic results are on the stronger end. A parent considering the school will want to weigh this against the fact that the absolute proficiency rates, particularly in third-grade subjects and in science across all grades, leave room for improvement.
The school’s student body reflects the broader community’s diversity. The largest demographic group is Black students, followed by a substantial share of Hispanic students and White students. An Asian American population and a smaller group of multiracial students are also present. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that this school serves a population with higher economic need. Data on the share of students with disabilities and the share classified as English learners was not reported, so a parent with a child in either of those groups should ask the school directly about available support services.
The Lisa Academy network itself has been expanding rapidly. Publicly reported information notes that the district has opened new campuses in Fayetteville, Rogers-Bentonville, and Springdale, and it launched a blended learning model called the Arkansas Hybrid School based in Little Rock. These moves suggest a system that is investing in growth and offering more instructional formats, though for a parent at North Elementary the immediate relevance is that the charter network appears stable and growing. The school is contained to its own building on Landers Road in Sherwood, and it does not share a campus with older grades; students who continue in the Lisa Academy system would transition to a separate middle and high school elsewhere in the network.
Sherwood itself is a primarily residential suburb with commercial strips along the main highways and a set of civic amenities including a library, municipal golf course, and parks. The housing market in the school’s ZIP code, based on the most recent data, shows home values that are below the national benchmark and below the state benchmark, making this a comparatively affordable area for homebuyers. Rental prices are also moderate relative to national figures. The local economy includes customer contact centers and medical facilities as major employers. The broader unemployment picture and median household income for the country at the time of this data were both near typical national ranges.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios. A parent interested in those aspects of school environment should inquire with the school administration directly. The school’s status as a charter school means it operates with a degree of autonomy from the Pulaski County Special School District, which manages the traditional public schools in Sherwood, and it requires an application process for enrollment rather than assignment by residence. For a family seeking a charter elementary within a growing network, one that shows above-median academic proficiency when compared with others in the county, and that serves a diverse and economically varied student body, Lisa Academy North Elementary is a viable option worth investigating further.
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