The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 45% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Fountain Lake Elementary
Fountain Lake Elementary serves students from kindergarten through fourth grade in the Fountain Lake School District, located on Park Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The school is a public, non-charter elementary building with a moderate enrollment for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of Hispanic students and a very small representation of other racial backgrounds. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a higher-need category.
Academically, Fountain Lake Elementary participates in Arkansas’s ATLAS state assessment system, which reports proficiency rates for grades three and four in math, reading, and science. In third grade, roughly half of students met proficiency benchmarks in reading and math, and a similar share achieved that level in science. Fourth-grade results were lower across all three subjects, with about two out of five students reaching proficiency in reading and math, and a slightly smaller share in science. Compared with other schools in Garland County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among its peers. This suggests that, despite the mixed grade-level performance, the school holds a relatively strong academic position within the county.
Because the school only serves kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and the data does not include chronic absenteeism figures or discipline measures. Parents looking for a full K-12 picture would need to investigate the district’s secondary schools separately.
The school is part of the Fountain Lake School District, a Garland County district. A search for recent district-level changes found little of lasting impact to report.
Hot Springs itself is a resort city and county seat with a character rooted in tourism. The downtown area features a historic district with Bathhouse Row, Art Deco architecture, and Hot Springs National Park, which includes hiking trails and preserved bathhouses. Major employers include Oaklawn Park, the National Park Service, and hospitality businesses tied to the thermal baths. The city’s population has grown slowly in recent years. Housing values in the area are roughly in line with the state median and below the national median, while rents are moderate.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of an elementary building whose academic performance sits solidly in the upper half of Garland County schools, though proficiency rates in fourth grade are noticeably lower than in third. The high share of students qualifying for meal assistance may point to broader economic factors in the community. The school’s setting in a tourist-oriented city means that local amenities—parks, trails, and downtown attractions—are nearby, but the school’s own building and grounds are not detailed in available data. No program offerings, such as gifted education or specials, were provided, so a parent may want to ask directly about enrichment and support services. Overall, Fountain Lake Elementary offers a conventional elementary experience in a district that appears stable, with academic results that compare favorably within the county but leave room for improvement in the upper primary grades.
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