The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in Math. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Jones Elementary School
Jones Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade in Springdale, Arkansas, as part of the Springdale School District. Springdale is a rapidly growing city known for its industrial and commercial base, particularly in poultry processing and manufacturing, with major employers like Tyson Foods, Cargill, and Pratt & Whitney. The city’s downtown along Emma Avenue provides cultural anchors including the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History and the Arts Center of the Ozarks, while schools are spread across separate campuses throughout the city. The district itself is one of the larger systems in Arkansas, operating numerous campuses, and the research found little in the way of recent district-level changes to report.
Jones Elementary is a neighborhood school with an enrollment that is small relative to many elementary schools. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and a smaller share of White students. Economically, nearly all students at the school come from households with low income, reflected in a very high rate of eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. This is a school where a large majority of families are navigating economic challenges, and where the student population is heavily diverse, with significant representation from two racial and ethnic groups.
Academically, Jones Elementary serves its students from kindergarten through fifth grade, and state testing results are available for grades three through five in math, English language arts, and science. The school’s proficiency rates on the Arkansas ATLAS assessments are consistently low across all three tested subjects and grade levels. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was modest in third grade and fourth grade, and slightly lower in fifth grade. In English language arts, the pattern is similar, with the highest proficiency seen in fourth grade and lower rates in third and fifth grades. In science, the proficiency rates were the lowest of the three subjects across all tested grades. While these numbers show that a minority of students are meeting grade-level benchmarks, it is important to note that the school serves a student population with a very high concentration of poverty, a factor often associated with lower test scores. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place.
The overall proficiency picture, when compared to other elementary schools in Washington County, places Jones Elementary in the bottom quartile, meaning that its combined subject- and grade-level results are among the lower end of the range seen in the county. The comparison is based on a proficiency index that averages performance across tested areas, and the school’s index is well below the county median. This is the key academic benchmark available for this school, as a graduation rate does not apply to an elementary school, and data on chronic absenteeism was not reported.
Housing in the Springdale area is reasonably priced relative to national levels, with typical home values and rents that sit above the Arkansas average but below the national median. The area has seen steady growth in home values and rents over the past year, reflecting the broader population and economic expansion in the region.
For a family considering Jones Elementary, the central facts are straightforward. This is a high-poverty school serving a diverse student body in a fast-growing, industrial city. The academic performance on state tests is low across the board, with the school ranking in the bottom tier of its county on overall proficiency. A parent whose top priority is strong standardized test scores would likely find other options in the district or county more aligned with that goal. A parent who values a neighborhood school in an economically diverse and rapidly growing community, and who wants to understand how the school supports students facing significant economic barriers, may want to speak directly with the principal or visit to see what programs and teaching approaches are in place beyond the state test results.
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