The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 56% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Mary Mae Jones Elem. School
Mary Mae Jones Elementary, also called The International School at Mary Mae Jones, serves kindergarten through fourth grade and is part of the larger Bentonville School District in northwest Arkansas. A parent looking at this school will find a generally strong academic picture, set within a city that has seen extraordinary growth and change over the last decade.
The school’s state testing results, from Arkansas’s ATLAS assessments, show that a majority of students met proficiency benchmarks. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was solid in third grade and stronger in fourth grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: a comfortable majority in third grade and a higher share in fourth grade. Science results followed the same trajectory, with a majority of fourth graders scoring at proficient levels. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile among elementary schools in Benton County. This means, relative to its county peers, Mary Mae Jones is performing at a high level.
Because the school only goes through fourth grade, no graduation rate data applies here. There is no state testing data for kindergarten through second grade, which is standard for those early grades.
The student body is diverse. White students make up roughly half the enrollment, with notable shares of Hispanic students and Asian students, along with smaller groups of students who are Black, multiracial, Native American, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Slightly less than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a mixed-income population.
The school is located in Bentonville, a city that has been transformed in recent decades from a modest Arkansas county seat into a fast-growing hub of commerce and culture. Walmart’s corporate headquarters drives much of the local economy, and the presence of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has turned the city into a regional tourist destination. The downtown square remains the historic civic core, with the county courthouse, shops, and restaurants. The population growth has been among the fastest in the country, and new housing construction has followed. For families moving to the area for jobs at Walmart or in the growing arts and tourism sector, Bentonville offers a dynamic and increasingly urbanized environment within the broader Northwest Arkansas metro.
Housing values in the school’s zip code are significantly higher than the state average, reflecting both the city’s economic strength and its desirability. Rental costs are elevated too. For a family considering this area, the cost of buying or renting will be a meaningful factor in the decision, as the gap between a typical mortgage payment and a typical rent suggests that owning a home is noticeably more expensive than renting in this market.
The district itself, Bentonville School District, is the larger system that oversees Mary Mae Jones. We looked for recent changes such as capital referendums, curriculum updates, or new school openings; publicly reported information was limited on those fronts, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about any upcoming facility plans or program adjustments.
In sum, Mary Mae Jones shows strong academic results relative to other elementary schools in the county, with a diverse enrollment and a location in one of Arkansas’s fastest-growing and most economically vibrant cities. The mix of high housing costs, a corporate-anchored local economy, and a school that performs well on state assessments paints a clear picture for a family weighing this option.
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