The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Science. The lowest is 17% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary
Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary is a public charter school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Jacksonville, Arkansas. It is one of three schools in the Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools district, all of which are now in Jacksonville after the closure of the district’s Pine Bluff campuses. The school occupies a building on North First Street, in a city shaped heavily by the nearby Little Rock Air Force Base, which sits within city limits. Jacksonville itself is a mix of older residential areas near downtown, suburban subdivisions, and commercial strips; its population has been essentially flat to slightly declining in recent years, and a 2023 tornado cut through a wide portion of the city, causing significant damage.
On state assessments administered through Arkansas’s ATLAS system in the 2024-25 school year, the school’s students in grades three and four scored below the midpoint among districts in Pulaski County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects. In math, about one in six students in both grade three and grade four scored at the proficient or above level. In English language arts, the share was similarly modest, with roughly one in seven third-graders and fewer than one in five fourth-graders reaching proficiency. Science results were a relative bright spot: about a quarter of third-graders and nearly a third of fourth-graders scored proficient or above. Even so, the school’s overall proficiency index was below the county median, meaning that a majority of other districts in Pulaski County posted higher combined scores.
Because the school serves only the elementary grades, it does not have a graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. No information on discipline or staffing was provided in the data.
The student body is small for a public school and predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a smaller share of white students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic context of the community: Jacksonville’s median household income is on the lower side, the poverty rate is elevated, and the recent closure of the city’s only hospital emergency room and surgical unit (now a psychiatric facility) has removed a major piece of local healthcare infrastructure. Housing values in the area are below both the state and national benchmarks, and rents are similarly modest, though both have been rising at a moderate pace.
Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary is a choice school within the Arkansas Lighthouse charter network. The district itself has undergone a notable contraction: its two Pine Bluff schools no longer appear in state accreditation reports, meaning families in that community no longer have Lighthouse elementary or middle school options. For families in Jacksonville, the charter offers an alternative to the traditional Jacksonville North Pulaski School District elementary schools.
A parent considering this school should understand that state test results are lower than those at many other elementary schools in Pulaski County. That does not necessarily tell the full story of a child’s experience or growth—especially in a school where the student body faces significant economic challenges—but the numbers are worth investigating further with the school. The strong science results in fourth grade suggest particular strength in that subject area. The school’s small size and charter status may appeal to families looking for a more intimate setting or a specific educational model, though no details about the school’s curriculum or instructional approach were available in the data. The surrounding community is car-dependent and suburban, with parks and some civic amenities, but limited public transit and recent economic headwinds from the hospital closure. For families already in Jacksonville, the school is a local option that fits within a district that is now focused entirely on that city.
See more original research from School Decision →