The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bob Folsom Elementary School
Bob Folsom Elementary School serves kindergarten through third grade in Farmington, a bedroom community in the Northwest Arkansas metro area. The school is part of the Farmington School District. It sits on a separate campus from the district’s older-grade buildings, a pattern common in this growing town where schools are spread across individual campuses rather than clustered in a downtown center.
The student body is moderate in size for a primary school, with a demographic makeup that leans heavily white, followed by smaller shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races, and very small numbers of Black, Asian, and Native American students. A notable portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about supports for those populations.
Academically, the school participates in Arkansas’s ATLAS assessment, which is given only in third grade at this building. In math, less than half of third graders scored at the proficient level or above. English language arts results were similar, with a comparable share of students meeting the benchmark. Science results were somewhat stronger, with a larger share achieving proficiency. When the school’s combined performance across tested subjects is compared with other districts in Washington County, it sits below the midpoint of the county. These figures offer a snapshot of a single grade; families moving into the area may want to look into how the district’s older elementary grades and intermediate school perform to get a fuller picture.
Farmington itself has been characterized as a bedroom community by the University of Arkansas Community Design Center, and its growth reflects that: it is the third fastest-growing city in Washington County, driven by residential development tied to the broader Northwest Arkansas boom. The built environment is auto-oriented, with no fixed-route transit, though Ozark Regional Transit offers demand-response service. Commercial activity is concentrated along Main Street, while civic life centers on Creekside Park, which hosts events such as the Fall Festival. Home values in the area run well above the state average, and rents are also above typical levels for Arkansas, consistent with the region’s overall housing market. Many residents commute to Fayetteville or other employment centers; the mean travel time to work is significant, reflecting the bedroom-community dynamic.
The district itself has not had any major parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or property-tax adjustments in recent years that were captured in the research. No data was available on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism at this school, so a parent may want to follow up with the school office on those topics. Given that Bob Folsom serves only the earliest grades, families should also note that the district operates separate buildings for intermediate, middle, junior high, and high school, creating a multi-campus progression through the grade levels.
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