The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Yocum Elementary School
Yocum Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in El Dorado, Arkansas, as part of the El Dorado School District. The school is located on South College Street in a residential area of the city. El Dorado is a small city and the county seat of Union County, functioning as the economic and cultural center of south-central Arkansas. Its economy has long been anchored by oil production and refining, petrochemicals, and timber, with major employers including Murphy USA, DelekUS, and Deltic Timber. The city has invested heavily in downtown revitalization through the Murphy Arts District, though its population has been declining over several decades. Housing in the area is below the national and state medians in value, and the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home is relatively modest by national standards.
Yocum is an elementary school only, serving kindergarten through fourth grade. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school is not a charter school, and its magnet and Title I status were not available in the data.
State testing results from the Arkansas ATLAS assessment are available for third and fourth grades in math, English language arts, and science. In math, proficiency rates for third graders and fourth graders each fell below a third of students tested. In English language arts, proficiency rates were roughly a quarter to just over a quarter of students. In science, proficiency rates were around a fifth to a quarter of students. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint relative to other districts in Union County. A parent may want to follow up with the school for a fuller picture of classroom instruction and any improvement efforts.
The student body is diverse by background. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black or African American, representing a substantial majority of enrollment, followed by white students, with smaller shares of Hispanic, two or more races, and Asian students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with high economic need. Enrollment data for students with disabilities and English learners was not reported.
The school environment section did not include information on discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance. A parent may want to ask about class sizes, support services, and any programs that address the needs of students from low-income households.
The district itself did not have recent parent-relevant changes available in public sources reviewed for this profile. No major strategic initiatives, boundary adjustments, or program overhauls were identified in the search.
For a family weighing this school, the academic proficiency results are a clear area to investigate further. The school serves a high-need student population in a city with a mixed economic history and a strong downtown cultural investment but a declining population base. The housing market is more affordable than state and national averages, which may be a consideration for families looking to move into the area.
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