Wakefield Elementary School, Little Rock AR

Original Research by School Decision on Wakefield Elementary School

Wakefield Elementary School is a K through 5 public school in the Little Rock School District, located in the 72209 zip code on the southwestern side of the city. It operates as a traditional elementary school, not a charter or magnet. The student body is large for an elementary school, and the demographic profile reflects the surrounding community: the student population is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a small share of white students and very few from other racial groups. Nearly every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Wakefield in a high-poverty context that is common in many urban elementary schools.

Little Rock itself is Arkansas’s capital and its largest city, a place with a mix of government, healthcare, retail, and industrial sectors. Downtown’s River Market district offers walkable street life, and the Arkansas River Trail provides a major recreational corridor. Outside the core, the city is largely car-dependent. The school’s immediate neighborhood is residential, with moderate home values relative to national medians and rents that are also modest. The port and industrial areas lie to the southeast, while the central business district and major employers such as UAMS, Dillard’s, and Windstream are a short drive north.

State assessment data from the 2024-25 school year, using Arkansas’s ATLAS test, show that proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science were low in grades 3 through 5. In each grade and in each subject, the share of students meeting the state’s proficient benchmark was well below the midpoint relative to other districts in Pulaski County. A parent reviewing the numbers will see that a small fraction of students reached the proficient or above level, with science showing the lowest results. The school’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the county’s districts, meaning that compared with other schools in the area, academic attainment is notably weaker. No trend data from prior years is available to show whether performance is moving in any direction.

Because Wakefield serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and the school has no chronic absenteeism data in this record. Information on special education identification rates and English learner counts is also missing, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about the level of support available for students with disabilities or those learning English. The district brief found no recent parent-relevant changes such as bond elections, curriculum shifts, or school closures, so the operating environment appears stable in the near term.

For a family considering this school, the picture is straightforward. Wakefield serves a large, economically disadvantaged population in a diverse urban setting. The academic results on state tests are low, which is a common pattern in schools with very high poverty rates. A parent may want to investigate what academic support programs, tutoring, or enrichment opportunities the school offers, and whether there are school-wide initiatives aimed at raising achievement. The school’s location in southwest Little Rock means a car is likely necessary for most families, though the area is well connected to the city’s major roads. Housing in the immediate area is relatively affordable compared with national averages, which could be a factor for families choosing where to live. In short, this is a school that fits families who prioritize a neighborhood setting with a diverse student body and who are prepared to engage closely with the school on academic progress. Those looking for higher baseline test scores or a broader range of program offerings may want to explore other options in the district.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 319%

School 19% · District 30% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 30% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 28% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 33% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 29% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Science

Grade 37%

School 7% · District 28% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 32% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 26% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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