The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Science. The lowest is 13% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on West Junior High School
West Junior High School serves seventh through ninth graders in the West Memphis School District, a public system in Crittenden County, Arkansas. The school sits in West Memphis, a mid-sized city directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee. West Memphis functions primarily as a distribution, trucking, and manufacturing hub, anchored by its location at the intersection of two major interstates, river and rail access. Major employers include FedEx National LTL, Schneider National Carriers, Baptist Memorial Hospital–Crittenden, and Southland Casino. The city has seen population decline in recent years, but the mayor's office has publicly reported substantial new investment in public facilities and job creation across hospitality, retail, and manufacturing. The built environment is heavily oriented toward automobile and truck traffic, with wide highways and interstate infrastructure dominating the landscape.
West Junior High is a mid-sized school for its grade band, enrolling students in grades seven through nine. The student body is majority Black, with a substantial white population and small shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic context of the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year, using Arkansas's ATLAS assessment, show that proficiency rates across subjects and grade levels are low. In seventh-grade math, about one in five students scored at the proficient level or above. In eighth-grade math, the rate was lower, with fewer than one in ten students reaching that bar. In English language arts, roughly one in seven seventh graders and one in eight eighth graders scored proficient or above. Science results were somewhat higher, with about one in six students in both grades reaching proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it below the midpoint among districts in Crittenden County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports are in place.
The school serves grades seven through nine, which means it does not have a four-year graduation rate to report. That metric is not applicable here because the school does not serve the full high school span. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available in the source materials.
West Memphis itself is a mid-sized city directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee. Its economy is heavily shaped by logistics infrastructure, with major employers in trucking, distribution, healthcare, and gaming. The city has seen population decline in recent years, but the mayor's office has publicly reported substantial new investment in public facilities, including parks, a library innovation center, and public safety buildings, as well as job creation in several sectors. Housing values in the area are well below both the state and national benchmarks, making the community relatively affordable. The school is part of the West Memphis School District, and the district brief did not turn up any recent parent-relevant changes such as boundary adjustments, program launches, or leadership transitions.
The school's enrollment is concentrated in the three grades it serves. The student-to-staff ratio and course access data were not available in the source materials, so it is not possible to describe class sizes or the breadth of elective and advanced offerings from this data. The school is not a charter school, and its magnet and Title I status were not specified in the records.
For a family considering this school, the picture is straightforward. The school serves a community where every student qualifies for meal assistance, and the academic results on state assessments are low across the board. The school's proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Crittenden County. A parent may want to ask about specific interventions, tutoring programs, or academic supports the school provides. The school's location in West Memphis means students live in a city shaped by logistics and transportation infrastructure, with a declining population but recent public investment. Housing is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. The district brief did not identify any recent changes such as new programs or leadership shifts, so a parent may want to contact the school directly for current information on course offerings, extracurriculars, and student support services.
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