Richland Elementary School, West Memphis AR

Original Research by School Decision on Richland Elementary School

Richland Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade in West Memphis, Arkansas. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates as part of the West Memphis School District. The school’s enrollment is substantial for an elementary building, with roughly balanced class sizes across grades. Almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the high level of economic need in the community. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable black enrollment and smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not provided, so the full picture of special populations is unclear.

Academically, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades ranks in the top quartile relative to districts in Crittenden County. That is a notable strength in a county where many schools face challenges. However, looking at individual grade levels and subjects reveals a varied picture. In math, proficiency rates rise steadily from grade to grade: the lower elementary grades show rates below half, while the sixth grade exceeds half. In English language arts, the pattern is less encouraging, with third and fourth grades posting rates well below half and fifth and sixth grades somewhat higher but still modest. Science results are similarly uneven, with fourth grade scoring higher than third, fifth, or sixth. The overall proficiency index places the school above the midpoint among county districts, but the reading results in early grades are a soft spot that a parent may want to look into further with the school.

West Memphis sits directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee, and functions primarily as a distribution, trucking, and manufacturing hub. The city’s identity is shaped by interstate highways, rail lines, and the river port. Healthcare and gaming are also significant economic sectors. The population has been declining in recent years, though the city has seen major public and private investment, including new parks, a public library, and public safety facilities. Housing values in the area are lower than both the state and national averages, and the cost of living is correspondingly more affordable. The built environment is oriented toward automobile and truck traffic, with limited walkability.

The district has not reported any recent parent-relevant changes, and no information was found on course offerings, staffing ratios, or discipline patterns at Richland. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or high school pathway data to consider. For families weighing this school, the core takeaway is a building that performs above the county average in overall proficiency, with a high-need student population and notable variation by subject and grade. The early elementary reading results warrant a closer look. The surrounding community offers a low-cost housing market and stable employment in logistics and healthcare, set against a backdrop of population decline.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 17% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 17% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 18% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 28% · ▲ 46 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 57 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 16% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 17% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 18% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 18% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 13% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 20% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 15% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 11% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolWEST MEMPHIS 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.