The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Math. The lowest is 25% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Angie Grant Elementary School
Angie Grant Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in the Benton School District, a suburban system within the broader Little Rock metropolitan area. The school is located on Hoover Street in Benton, the county seat of Saline County, and enrolls a student body of roughly a few hundred. The grade distribution is fairly even across K-4, which is typical for an elementary of this size.
The student composition is diverse. Around half of the children are white, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller share of Black students. Just under a tenth identify as two or more races. More than six in ten students come from low-income households, as measured by free or reduced-price meal eligibility. That poverty rate is notable and places the school in a context where many families face economic challenges.
State testing data is available for the third and fourth grades in math, English language arts, and science. Across these subjects and grades, the share of students scoring proficient or above clustered in the range of roughly a quarter to a third. These results place the school well below the midpoint when measured against other elementary and combined schools in the districts that serve Saline County. The comparison, which looks at overall proficiency across tested grades and subjects, puts Angie Grant in the bottom quartile of that countywide set. A parent reading these scores should know that the school is performing at a level that is lower than most of its neighbors in the county.
Because the school ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available in this profile. The district does provide important context: Benton School District has undertaken significant capital construction spending in recent years, with a large investment in facilities publicly reported. That suggests the broader district is putting money into the physical school environment, which could affect facilities at Angie Grant over time, though specific details at this school were not included.
The community of Benton itself is a growing suburb that serves as the county seat. Its historic downtown centers on the Saline County Courthouse, with a few walkable blocks, but most of the city is spread out in a low-density, auto-oriented pattern. The population has been growing steadily, and the city functions largely as a residential base for commuters to Little Rock as well as a service hub for the surrounding area. Housing values in the area are moderate, and rents are also moderate relative to national benchmarks, making it a reasonably affordable market for families.
For a family deciding whether this school is a fit, the primary considerations are its elementary-only scope, its high proportion of students in poverty, and its below-county-average test performance. The district’s capital investment may bring improved facilities, but the academic outcomes as measured by state assessments are soft. A parent who values a small, neighborhood elementary with a diverse student body may find this school works well as a starting point, particularly if they are willing to look into instructional supports or enrichment options. Given the poverty rate, the school likely qualifies for federal Title I funds and may offer additional programs, though this profile did not include Title I status. A parent should ask the school directly about reading and math intervention programs, class sizes, and how the school supports students who are below grade level. The lack of data on special education and English learner populations is a gap worth exploring with the school office.
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