Howard Elementary School, Fort Smith AR

Original Research by School Decision on Howard Elementary School

Howard Elementary School serves a pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade population in Fort Smith, Arkansas, as part of the Fort Smith School District. The school sits on the north side of the city, in a neighborhood of older homes and small businesses, roughly a short drive from the downtown core and the Arkansas River waterfront. The building itself is a conventional elementary facility; the campus does not appear to have a specialized magnet or charter designation.

The student body is diverse and reflects the broader Fort Smith community. A substantial majority of students identify as Hispanic, with smaller populations identifying as White, Black, or two or more races. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is very high, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs and support structures.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year—Arkansas’s ATLAS test—performance varied by grade and subject. In reading and math, fourth graders posted the strongest results among the tested grades, while third and fifth graders showed lower proficiency rates. Science results followed a similar pattern, with grade four relatively stronger than both grade three and grade five. Overall, when averaging proficiency across tested subjects and grades, the school sits in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Sebastian County. This is a soft spot in the profile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports are in place, how the school is addressing these gaps, and whether trends are improving.

Because Howard Elementary serves only early grades, there is no graduation rate to consider. The school does not offer high school programs such as Advanced Placement or career-technical pathways; those options become available later for students who continue into the district’s secondary schools.

Fort Smith itself is a regional manufacturing and healthcare hub, home to major employers such as Mercy-Fort Smith, ArcBest, and several large plants. The city is car-dependent, spread out over a large area, and has seen modest population growth in recent years. Housing costs in the surrounding zip code are well below national averages, and rents are also relatively affordable, which matters for families weighing the cost of living against school options.

At the district level, two changes are worth noting. In 2021, voters approved a property tax increase to fund teacher salaries, technology, and facility upgrades; the following year the district board rolled back the millage rate slightly, easing the tax burden. Separately, the district opened the Peak Innovation Center, a career and technical education facility that serves secondary students. While that does not directly affect an elementary student, it signals a district-level commitment to expanding career pathways for students as they progress.

Howard Elementary is a neighborhood school in a mid-sized, working-class city. The student population is high-needs, and academic outcomes currently trail most other elementary schools in the county. For a family seeking a small, diverse elementary school where a large share of children come from similar economic backgrounds, and where the district has recently invested in facilities and teacher pay, it may be a fit worth exploring. A thorough conversation with the principal about instructional strategies and student support would be a reasonable next step.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 33% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 38% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 34% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 31% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 37% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 36% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 31% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 33% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 30% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolFORT SMITH 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.