The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 51% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Heber Springs Elem. School
Heber Springs Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade and sits on a shared campus with the district’s middle and high schools on the east side of Heber Springs, away from the downtown courthouse square. The school is the only elementary in the Heber Springs School District, and its enrollment is large for a K-5 building. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with small shares of Hispanic, multiracial, and other backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a moderate-to-high poverty context for the area.
On the 2024-25 Arkansas ATLAS assessments, the school’s proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science show a pattern that varies by grade and subject. In third grade, about half of students met the proficiency benchmark in math and ELA, and a similar share did so in science. Fourth-grade results were stronger across all three subjects, with a clear majority of students scoring proficient or above. Fifth-grade results were mixed: math and ELA proficiency rates were in the mid-range, while science reached a notably higher level. When compared with other districts in Cleburne County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile, meaning its combined performance across tested subjects and grades is among the strongest in the county. This is a meaningful point of reference, since the county includes only a handful of districts.
The student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of Hispanic, multiracial, and other backgrounds. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served and how they perform. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Heber Springs itself is a small county-seat town that functions as the commercial and civic hub of Cleburne County. The economy is tied to tourism from Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River, healthcare, and local government, and a growing retirement community is shaping the town’s character. The downtown courthouse square has local shops and restaurants, while the Highway 5 corridor has seen newer commercial development. The school district’s campus sits on the east side of the city, separate from the downtown area, with the elementary, middle, and high schools co-located. The town is car-dependent, and street life is concentrated around the courthouse square and Spring Park, especially during community events. Home values in the area are below the national average, and the town has been growing at a moderate rate, with new housing aimed at retirees and second-home buyers near Greers Ferry Lake.
The district brief turned up little in the way of recent changes or strategic initiatives, so there is no specific news to report on that front. A parent looking into the school may want to ask the district directly about any current priorities or upcoming shifts.
For a family considering Heber Springs Elementary, the picture is one of a solidly performing school in a small, growing lake-and-retirement community. The proficiency results are strongest in fourth grade and in science, and the school’s overall standing relative to other Cleburne County districts is favorable. The student body is not highly diverse, and the economic makeup is mixed, with a notable share of students from lower-income households. The school is part of a district where all three buildings sit on one campus, which can simplify transitions for children as they move from elementary to middle to high school. The town’s character is shaped by tourism and retirees, and housing costs are below the national average, which may appeal to families looking for a lower-cost setting in a lake-oriented region.
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