The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Science. The lowest is 60% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Mountain Springs Elem School
Mountain Springs Elementary School serves Cabot families from prekindergarten through fourth grade, making it one of the earlier elementary options in the Cabot School District. It is a traditional public school that is not a charter or magnet institution. The school sits in a city that has been described as one of the fastest-growing in Arkansas, a residential commuter suburb within the Little Rock metropolitan area where many residents work in the capital while living in Cabot for its lower cost of living and its school system. The Cabot School District itself is a major local employer and a central institution in the city, and the district operates nine elementary schools across the area.
The student body at Mountain Springs is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population and a similar share of students who identify as two or more races. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a middle range for economic need within the broader context of the district and county. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school serving these grade levels, with the largest class in third grade and the smallest in prekindergarten, which is typical since pre-K is not universal enrollment.
Academically, Mountain Springs stands out in its county context. When comparing all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among elementary schools and schools across all grade bands in Lonoke County. The results are solid across the board, with math and science performance particularly strong at both the third and fourth grade levels. In math, proficiency rates are above the county median, and in science they reach even higher. English language arts is the relative soft spot; while still above the county median, the rates dip below the school’s own math and science performance, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how literacy instruction is structured in the upper primary grades. The school uses Arkansas’s ATLAS assessment, and the data reflects a single year, so trend information is not yet available to say whether these results represent an established pattern.
Because Mountain Springs serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or high school outcome data to report. The same is true for chronic absenteeism, discipline data, and staffing information, which were not captured in the available data. These are common gaps for a school of this grade band, not an indication of concern.
The housing market in the school’s zip code is moderately priced relative to national averages, with home values and rents that are accessible compared to many other parts of the country. The area has seen modest growth in both home values and rents, consistent with Cabot’s broader reputation as a growing suburb drawing families from the Little Rock area. The typical home in this area is priced below the national median, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is within reach for many households earning the local median income. The rent-to-income ratio suggests renting is also an option for families who are not ready to buy.
Cabot itself is an auto-oriented city with limited walkability, defined by highway corridors and suburban subdivisions. The historic downtown centers on Main Street and City Plaza, which was rebuilt after a devastating tornado decades ago and now houses city hall and the police station. The high school campus sits just south of downtown, but Mountain Springs Elementary is located on Mountain Springs Road away from the downtown core, consistent with the district’s pattern of spreading its many campuses across the city. The city has no public transit system identified in available sources, so a car is a practical necessity for school drop-off, pickup, and most daily errands.
No recent district-wide changes such as bond elections, curriculum shifts, or facility construction were identified in the available research for the Cabot School District. The district brief did not surface any new strategic priorities or parent-relevant developments, so a family moving into the area may want to contact the district directly to ask about any upcoming initiatives or facility plans that could affect their child’s early elementary experience.
Mountain Springs Elementary fits a family seeking a strong academic start in a growing suburban community, where the school’s performance in math and science is clearly above the county norm, and where the broader district provides a well-established pathway through high school. The school’s size and grade configuration are typical for the area, and the student demographics reflect the community’s overall composition. For a family weighing this against other elementary options in the Cabot district or in neighboring communities, the proficiency data gives Mountain Springs a clear edge among its county peers.
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