Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville AR

Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Junior High School

Woodland Junior High School serves seventh and eighth graders in Fayetteville, part of the Fayetteville School District. It is a straightforward junior high: a focused two-year span before high school, and its academic results give families a fairly clear picture of what to expect.

On state assessments, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the top quarter of districts in Washington County, so the academic floor here is generally higher than many nearby schools. Science stands out as a particular strength. In seventh grade, a solid majority of students met the proficiency bar, and eighth graders also performed well, though slightly lower. English language arts results are more moderate, with just over half of students proficient in both grades. Math tells a more uneven story. Seventh graders turned in strong numbers, but eighth-grade math proficiency dropped considerably. That drop is worth a closer look. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students transitioning to more advanced math concepts and whether there are targeted interventions in place.

The student body is large enough to offer a typical range of course sections but small enough that most families will find it manageable. Demographically, the school is predominantly white, with Hispanic and Black students each making up a modest share, and smaller groups of Asian, multiracial, and Native American students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a relatively low share that places the school in a more economically stable context than many peers. No data was available on special education or English learner populations, so those figures are absent from the picture.

The community surrounding the school is Fayetteville, a rapidly growing city anchored by the University of Arkansas. Downtown and the campus sit close together, creating a walkable core with civic amenities like the Walton Arts Center and Wilson Park. The university is a major employer, and the city is the county seat, so the local economy is relatively stable. Housing values in the area are above the state average, and rents have risen modestly, reflecting the growth pressures in Northwest Arkansas. The school itself sits in a mixed residential and commercial area near downtown, so the commute from most parts of the city is direct.

The district context adds an important layer. In 2024, voters narrowly rejected a proposed property tax increase that would have funded teacher salaries, technology, and facilities. The district’s millage rate is now among the lowest in the region, which means it operates with less local revenue per student than many neighboring districts. That constraint could affect class sizes, compensation, and building upgrades over time. The school’s current performance suggests it has maintained strong outcomes despite this, but families may want to watch how the district responds to the funding gap.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report here. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also not available, which limits a full picture of student engagement.

Woodland Junior High offers a solid academic foundation, particularly in science, with math being the area where results vary most by grade. For a family looking at the Fayetteville School District, this school presents a generally positive profile, with the caveat that eighth-grade math warrants a closer look and the district’s constrained finances are worth monitoring.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 55% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 38% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 45% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 46% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Science

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 57% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 55% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

This schoolFAYETTEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income58%35 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income23%Higher-income60%37 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income80%41 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income63%31 pp gap