The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Math. The lowest is 30% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Siloam Springs Intermediate School
Siloam Springs Intermediate School serves fifth and sixth graders in the Siloam Springs School District, a public school system that sits at the western edge of the fast-growing Northwest Arkansas metro area. The school occupies a single building on North Mount Olive Street and is one of seven campuses the district operates across the city, arranged by grade band from prekindergarten through high school. Because the school covers only two grades, it does not produce a four-year graduation rate or many of the measures that apply to high schools, but it does participate in the state’s ATLAS testing program.
Siloam Springs itself grew steadily in recent decades and now has a population that reflects both longtime residents and newcomers drawn by employment in poultry processing, manufacturing, and the presence of John Brown University. The city’s economy is anchored by major employers such as Simmons Foods, Gates Corporation, and La‑Z‑Boy, and it sits near the Arkansas‑Oklahoma border. The historic downtown along Sager Creek maintains a small‑town character, but the main commercial corridor has shifted to the highway bypass built decades ago. The city’s housing market, like much of Benton County, has risen in value, though price levels remain more moderate than in some neighboring communities to the east. A significant share of households have children under eighteen, and the Hispanic or Latino population makes up a substantial part of the community.
State assessment results for the 2024‑25 school year show that proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science at both fifth and sixth grade fell below the county median. On a combined proficiency index that averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, Siloam Springs Intermediate ranks among the lower‑performing schools relative to other districts in Benton County. In fifth grade, the share of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level was modest across all three subjects; sixth grade results were similar, with reading and math both showing room for growth. A parent looking at these numbers will see a school where the majority of students are not yet meeting the state’s proficiency benchmarks, a pattern that has been consistent across the tested grades.
The student body is diverse. About half of the students are white, just over a third are Hispanic or Latino, and smaller shares are Native American, Asian, multiracial, Black, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. More than three out of five students qualify for free or reduced‑price lunch, an indicator that a large portion of families face economic pressures. Data on the number of students with disabilities or those who are English learners was not reported, so it is not possible to assess how the school serves those populations or what specialized supports are available. The school does not report chronic absenteeism rates or discipline data, which limits a full picture of the learning environment.
The school’s location within the Siloam Springs district means that students move through a sequence of separate grade‑band buildings: from Northside, Allen, and Southside elementary schools, to this intermediate school for grades five and six, then on to the middle school and high school. The district itself does not appear to have undergone major recent changes that would affect the intermediate school experience, based on available information.
For a family considering Siloam Springs Intermediate, the takeaway is straightforward. This is a school that serves a high‑poverty, ethnically diverse student population in a growing regional economy. Academic achievement on state tests is below the county average, which is something a parent would want to explore further with the school to understand what instructional supports, tutoring, or intervention programs are in place. The absence of data on special education, English learner services, and attendance means those are important questions to ask directly. The school offers a standard intermediate curriculum with no specialized magnet or charter status. The broader community provides a mix of employment and housing options, and the district’s grade‑band model means students will transition to a new building after sixth grade.
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