Academies of Math and Sciences School, Little Rock AR

Original Research by School Decision on Academies of Math and Sciences School

The Academies of Math and Science School is a very new public charter school in Little Rock, Arkansas. It opened its doors in fall 2024, operating out of a renovated campus that was formerly an elementary school. It serves a single, middle-school grade band, and its name and founding charter signal a clear focus on math, science, and STEAM subjects. Because it is a charter school, it is tuition-free and open to families in the area who choose this option over their zoned public school.

The school is part of a small, single-school district. Little Rock is Arkansas's capital and largest city, a mix of government, healthcare, commercial, and industrial sectors. Major employers include the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, several hospitals, and the corporate headquarters of Dillard's and Windstream Holdings. The city has a downtown River Market district with restaurants and cultural venues, a 17-mile riverside trail, and a major Clinton Presidential Center. The broader city is car-dependent outside the downtown core, and housing in the school's ZIP code is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks.

This school is in its first year of operation, and its academic data comes from a single year of state testing. The results show that proficiency rates on the state's ATLAS assessments were low across all tested subjects and grade levels, with the share of students scoring at proficient or above in math, English language arts, and science falling in the low single digits to the mid-twenties range at different grade levels. For context, across all districts in Pulaski County, this school's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, as a single year of data from a brand-new school is a thin basis for any judgment, and the school may be working to establish its instructional footing.

Because the school serves middle school grades only, it has no graduation rate data. Similarly, data on enrollment, student demographics, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education, and English learner populations were all unavailable for this profile. The school's governance structure is that of a charter, meaning it operates with some autonomy from the local school district but must answer to its authorizer. The state's Charter Authorizing Panel has already endorsed an increase to the school's enrollment cap to accommodate growing community interest, a sign that demand from families has been strong in its first year.

For a family considering this school, what stands out is the newness. This is a young institution with a specific academic mission in math and science, housed in a renovated building, and already drawing enough interest to expand its capacity. The test results are a starting point, but they reflect a single snapshot. A family would want to visit, talk to the administration about the curriculum and teaching approach, and understand how the school plans to build on its first year. The surrounding city of Little Rock provides a full set of urban amenities, a large employment base, and a range of cultural and recreational assets.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 314%

School 14% · District 14%

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

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 8%

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

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 18%

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

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 19%

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

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 4%

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

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 19%

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

English language arts

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 18%

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 27%

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

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 4%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 18%

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

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 13 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 18%

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 72%

School 2% · District 2%

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 23%

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

This schoolACADEMIES OF MATH AND SCIENCES SCHOOL, 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.