The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Math. The lowest is 14% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Stewart Elementary School
Stewart Elementary School serves third through fifth grade in Forrest City, Arkansas, a small Delta county seat where the population has been declining. The school is part of the Forrest City School District. The student body is predominantly African American, and nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a school with high economic need, and that context is important for understanding the academic results that follow.
On the 2024-25 state assessments, Stewart’s proficiency rates fell below a quarter in almost every tested grade and subject, and in several cases below one in five. The strongest showing was in third-grade math, where roughly a third of students scored proficient or above. By fifth grade, that rate dropped below a quarter. In English language arts, the pattern was steeper: third-grade proficiency was shy of one in five, fourth grade around one in seven, and fifth grade at one in ten. Science results were similarly low, ranging from roughly one in six in fourth grade to about one in seven in fifth. When compared to other districts within St. Francis County, Stewart’s overall proficiency index landed above the midpoint, though the set contains only three districts, and the index itself reflects a weak absolute level. A parent considering this school will want to look into what academic supports are available, how the school is working to raise achievement, and what interventions are in place for students who are not yet at grade level.
The school serves only grades three through five, so there is no graduation rate to report, and the data did not include information on special education identification, English learner services, discipline rates, or staffing ratios. No data on chronic absenteeism was available either. These are significant gaps; a parent should ask the school directly about student support services, class sizes, and how the school addresses consistent attendance.
Forrest City itself is the county seat of St. Francis County, located on Crowley’s Ridge in the Mississippi Delta region. The built environment is auto-oriented, with a downtown core centered on the courthouse square. Major employers include the Federal Correctional Complex, the school district, and Woodruff Electric Cooperative. The population has been contracting, and the housing stock shows a notable vacancy rate. Home values in the area are well below national benchmarks, making it an affordable market, but one with limited appreciation. The city’s motto, “One Forrest City, moving forward, one step at a time,” reflects incremental revitalization rather than rapid growth.
The district brief turned up no recent major changes or strategic initiatives that were publicly reported. That means a parent will need to seek out information directly from the district about current improvement efforts, programming, and any upcoming changes to curriculum or facilities.
For a family, Stewart Elementary presents as a small, high-need elementary school in a contracting Delta community. The academic results are low, and the data on supports is thin. A parent should plan to visit the school, talk with teachers and the principal about how instruction is being strengthened, and ask about after-school tutoring, reading interventions, and how the school engages families around student progress. The school’s location in the county seat means civic institutions and some historic amenities are nearby, but the overall setting is rural and car-dependent. This is a school where the challenges are clear, and where a close look at classroom conditions and support systems will matter a great deal.
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