Terry Elementary School, Little Rock AR

Original Research by School Decision on Terry Elementary School

Terry Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Little Rock School District, located in the western part of the city. The school sits in a residential area of Little Rock, a city that functions as Arkansas's capital and its largest, with a diverse economy anchored by healthcare, government, and corporate headquarters such as Dillard's and Windstream. The school building is on Mara Lynn Drive, in a neighborhood setting that reflects a mix of the city's suburban-style development.

The student body is around three hundred children, making this a moderately sized elementary school. The composition is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of white students and smaller shares of Hispanic and Asian students, along with some students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a large portion of the families served are in lower-income brackets.

On the 2024-25 Arkansas state assessments, known as ATLAS, Terry Elementary's proficiency rates fell below the midpoint among elementary schools in Pulaski County. The data shows a pattern across the tested grades of third through fifth. In math, proficiency was low in each of those grades. In English language arts, the fourth grade showed a somewhat higher level than the third and fifth grades, but all were still below what is typical across the county. In science, the numbers again were low in all three grades. A parent considering this school should note that, while the school serves a population where many children face economic challenges, the overall academic attainment is a point of concern. It would be reasonable to ask the school about the specific strategies it uses for literacy and math instruction, and what additional supports are available for students who are behind grade level.

Being an elementary school, Terry does not have a graduation rate or high school data to report. It also does not offer the kind of course access metrics, such as AP or dual credit, that apply to high schools. The school environment data on discipline, staffing, and chronic absenteeism was not available for this report, so a reader may want to check with the district for that information.

Terry Elementary is not a charter school, and its magnet status was not reported in the available data. The school is part of the Little Rock School District, a system that serves the city. Publicly reported information about recent district-level changes, such as bond proposals or curriculum shifts, was not found, so it is unclear what larger initiatives may be affecting the school's operations.

The housing market around the school, based on area-wide data, shows home values roughly in line with the national average, and rents that are moderately lower. The area has seen modest growth in home values and rents. The broader Little Rock economy has remained stable, with a consistent unemployment rate near the national average.

For a family weighing this school, the central picture is of an elementary school with a high-needs student population and test results that are lower than most schools in the county. A family whose priority is strong academic performance on state tests would likely want to explore other options or have a detailed conversation with the school about its academic support programs. A family that values a neighborhood school and the services available through a large urban district may find this a viable option, but they should look closely at how the school is working to improve outcomes.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 30% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 33% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 30% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 28% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 33%

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

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 29% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 28% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 32% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 26% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolLITTLE ROCK 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income14%Higher-income27%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income16%Higher-income50%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income9%Higher-income18%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income12%Higher-income33%22 pp gap