The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in Math. The lowest is 24% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Mountainburg Elementary School
Mountainburg Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the rural town of Mountainburg, Arkansas. The school is part of the Mountainburg School District, a small district of three schools that serves students from the town and the surrounding hills and valleys of Crawford County. The town itself is a small, quiet community that was once a thriving stop on U.S. Route 71 but became sleepier after Interstate 49 was built to the west. It has a handful of local businesses, a city park with two large dinosaur statues, and a few churches; most residents commute to the Fort Smith metropolitan area for work. The housing market in the area is less expensive than the national median, making it a relatively more affordable place to live. The population has been flat or slightly declining over recent years.
The student body at Mountainburg Elementary is predominantly white, with a very small number of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The reported free- and reduced-price lunch count appears to exceed the total enrollment, which can happen when the count includes pre-kindergarten students or other factors, but it points to a high level of economic need among the families the school serves. The school is not a charter school, and while the data did not include a Title I status, the family-income profile is consistent with schools that receive that designation.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year, the most recent available, show a mixed picture. In third grade, the percentage of students scoring proficient or above in math was moderate, in English language arts it was lower, and in science it matched the ELA figure. Fourth graders posted better results in math and science, though English language arts remained a soft spot. Fifth grade showed a steep drop-off, with a very small share of students reaching the proficient bar in all three subject areas. On a composite index of proficiency across tested subjects and grades, the school falls in the bottom quartile among the five districts in Crawford County. A parent moving into the area should be aware that elementary test scores trend notably lower by fifth grade and may want to ask the school about the supports and interventions in place for upper-elementary students, as the data suggest the upper grades are where the challenge is greatest.
Because the school stops at fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Discipline and attendance data, as well as information on special education and English learner populations, were not available in the record, so a full picture of the student support environment is incomplete. The district brief found no recent major changes to district programs, boundaries, or leadership that would affect a family’s decision.
The school itself is located on the main highway corridor, while the town’s civic life centers on the downtown park. This is a rural community with limited amenities; families will likely drive to Fort Smith for many services. For a family seeking an affordable rural setting where the elementary school is the sole local attendance option for primary grades, Mountainburg Elementary is a straightforward choice. The academic results, particularly in fifth grade, are something a family should investigate further by speaking with the principal or touring the upper-grade classrooms to see what academic supports are available.
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