The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Science. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cedarville Elementary School
Cedarville Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in a small bedroom community set in the Ozark foothills of western Crawford County, Arkansas. The town of Cedarville itself is low-density and rural, a place where most working residents commute to Van Buren, Fort Smith, or Fayetteville; very few make their living locally. The school is the most visible employer in town alongside a small commercial strip of a Dollar General, gas station, and a handful of other businesses. The overall texture is quiet and residential, with no sidewalks or street life and no distinct downtown.
The school’s enrollment is small for its grade band, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races and very small shares of Hispanic, Black, and Asian students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures.
State testing results are reported for Arkansas’s ATLAS assessment. In both third and fourth grade, math proficiency rates are low. English language arts proficiency rates are somewhat higher but still modest. Science performance stands a bit above math and ELA, though still below a majority reaching proficiency. When compared against other districts in Crawford County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of that group. The school serves only primary grades, so no graduation rate is reported because it does not apply to this age range.
These results sit in a context of statewide changes driven by the Arkansas LEARNS Act of 2023. That law mandates evidence-based reading instruction in all K‑3 classrooms, requires literacy screening three times per year, and will retain third graders who do not meet reading proficiency beginning in the 2025‑2026 school year unless they attend summer learning. For families in Cedarville Elementary, this means the school’s approach to early literacy will be under structured state requirements. Additionally, universal Education Freedom Accounts became available in 2025‑2026, allowing any Arkansas family to apply for state funding toward private school, homeschooling, or other approved educational expenses, which gives parents a new choice option outside the district.
Cedarville itself has experienced steady growth in population since re‑incorporation, driven by its role as a bedroom community for the larger cities to the south and north. Housing values in the area have risen at a pace above the national average, though they remain below the national benchmark. The median household income has also grown. The school district has built a new high school and middle school in past years, and the elementary school has had additions over time. A new library was recently built on property purchased from the school district.
For a family considering Cedarville Elementary, the picture is one of a small, rural primary school serving a high‑poverty population with modest academic performance relative to other schools in the county. The district is subject to the same statewide literacy reforms and school‑choice expansion as all Arkansas districts. The setting is a low‑density Ozark community where daily life revolves around commuting and a few local services. Parents who prioritize academic outcomes may want to speak with the school about its approach to reading and math intervention, especially given the upcoming third‑grade retention requirement. The school’s small size and rural character may appeal to families who prefer that environment, while those seeking a wider range of program options or higher proficiency rates may find the data gives them reason to look further into the school’s specific supports.
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