The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ida Burns Elementary School
Ida Burns Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Conway, Arkansas, as one of nine elementary campuses within the Conway School District. It is a traditional public school open to families living in its attendance zone. The school sits on Donaghey Avenue in a residential section of the city, close to downtown and the University of Central Arkansas campus. Conway itself is a mid-sized city that functions as Faulkner County’s seat and a regional hub for central Arkansas, known for three higher-education institutions that shape the local economy and workforce. The city is car-dependent, with limited transit options, and has been growing steadily in recent years, drawing new industrial and healthcare employers. For a family weighing where to live, the school sits inside a larger district that operates sixteen schools across the city, so the elementary experience here feeds into Conway’s middle and high schools.
The student body of roughly 400 children reflects a racially mixed population. White students and Black students each make up a sizable share, with smaller groups of Hispanic students, multiracial students, and a handful of Asian and Native American students. A substantial portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves many families with lower household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about support services for those groups.
On state testing from the 2024-25 school year, Ida Burns Elementary’s overall proficiency across math, English language arts, and science sits above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Faulkner County. Within the school, performance varies by grade and subject. In third grade, the share of students scoring proficient or above in math was below half, while fourth-grade math was a bit higher. In English language arts, both grades had proficiency rates near the halfway mark. In science, third graders matched the ELA rate, while fourth graders had a lower share proficient. These gaps suggest that some cohorts and subjects are stronger than others; a parent may want to look into the school’s curriculum and intervention strategies, particularly in upper-elementary math and science, to see how the school addresses uneven performance.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the data provided.
For families considering moving into the attendance zone, typical home values in the area run a bit above the Arkansas state median but remain below the national median. Rents follow a similar pattern. Conway’s growth has brought new housing and industrial investment, so the housing market is moderately active but not severely stretched by national standards. Commuting around the city is car-dependent, with Interstate 40 passing through the northern and eastern sides.
The district-level picture showed no recent major changes or initiatives publicly reported, so families should rely on direct outreach to the school and the Conway district office for current information on programs, class sizes, and after-school offerings. The data did not include program details such as art, music, or extracurriculars at this school, nor specifics on staffing or classroom technology. A parent may want to tour the school and speak with teachers and the principal to get a fuller sense of what a typical day looks like for a child here.
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