The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Math. The lowest is 51% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Jessieville Elementary School
Jessieville Elementary School serves its community as a rural public school for students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. The school belongs to the Jessieville School District in Garland County, Arkansas, and shares one campus with the district’s middle and high schools, making this consolidated site the central institutional anchor of the community. The historic Rock Building, constructed from local stone, still stands as the district’s administrative office.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small number of Hispanic and multiracial students, and very few Black or Asian students. Virtually all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that reflects the area's low median household income, well below the national median. Jessieville itself is an unincorporated rural bedroom community for Hot Springs, located in the Ouachita Mountains. The community has no downtown grid or pedestrian infrastructure; daily errands require a vehicle, and most residents commute south to Hot Springs for work and services. The local economy includes the school district as a significant employer, along with the U.S. Forest Service and active quartz crystal mines.
On the Arkansas ATLAS state assessments, the school’s results vary by grade and subject, making it useful to look at each. In mathematics, third and fourth graders posted strong proficiency rates, with roughly four out of five students scoring proficient or above. Fifth grade math was notably weaker, with just above half of students reaching the same benchmark. In English language arts, proficiency rates hovered near the half mark across all three tested grades: around half of third graders, roughly half of fourth graders, and half of fifth graders met the standard. Science performance was the most consistent and favorable subject area, with about three in five students proficient in third grade, about the same share in fourth, and a similar level in fifth. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Garland County.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. Information on special education enrollment and English learner populations was also missing, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports available for students with individualized education plans or those learning English.
The district has opened a school-based health clinic called the Lions Health & Wellness Center, which serves students and staff. This is a practical addition for families, particularly given the lack of nearby medical infrastructure in this rural area.
Jessieville Elementary is a small school that sits at the heart of a community with few other civic or commercial anchors. The academic picture is mixed: elementary students generally perform well in math in the lower grades and show solid science proficiency across the board, but reading and writing scores are middling, and math performance drops notably by fifth grade. The housing market in the local ZIP code has seen modest value increases, though home prices remain well below state and national averages. The area is growing slowly, constrained by the surrounding national forest. This is a place for families who prioritize a small, rural school as the center of community life and who are comfortable with a long commute to a larger city for employment, shopping, and services.
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