In his last full meeting as a member of the Little Rock School Board, Dr. Michael Nellums (Zone 2) asked a highly relevant question:

What do we have to show for all the money we have spent on the “Middle School Improvement Initiative?”

Well, according to the latest data (2012-13) from the Arkansas Department of Education, here’s what:

Benchmark

Total % Proficient or Advanced in Math (Out of 871 Schools)

• Cloverdale Middle School (33%, 852nd)
• Henderson Middle School (36%, 851st)
• Forest Heights Middle School(38%, 849th)
• Mabelvale MIddle School (45%, 827th)
• Dunbar Magnet Middle School (48%, 804th)
• Mann Magnet Middle School (67%, 624th)
• Pulaski Heights Middle School (70%, 575th)

Total % Proficient or Advanced in Literacy (Out of 871 Schools)

• Cloverdale Middle School (43%, 856th) 
• Henderson Middle School (45%, 853rd)
• Forest Heights Middle School (51%, 845th)
• Mabelvale Middle School (52%, 840th)
• Dunbar Magnet Middle School (69%, 710th)
• Mann Magnet Middle School (75%, 591st)
• Pulaski Heights Middle School (80%, 443rd)

Overall Norm (National) Referenced (Out of 1025 Schools)

• Cloverdale Middle School (27, 991st)
• Henderson Middle School (29, 972nd)
• Forest Heights Middle School (33, 929th)
• Mabelvale Middle School (35, 910th)
• Dunbar Magnet Middle School (39, 655th)
• Mann Magnet Middle School (49, 625th)
• Pulaski Heights Middle School (56, 353rd)

Out of 255 public school districts and charters, Little Rock ranked 17th in Arkansas in Per Pupil Total Expenditure at $15,310. At 46, its Total Mills ranked 4th in the state for the 2011-12 school year.

So to answer Dr. Nellums’ question, the Little Rock School District, whose property taxpayers have the 4th highest mills in the state, spends more than 238 other school districts and charters to get:

• 4 of 7 middle schools among lowest performing 44 schools in state in math;
• 4 of 7 middle schools among lowest performing 31 schools in state in literacy; and
• No middle school among state’s top 50% in math or literacy.

But don’t take our word for it. Crunch the numbers yourself at Arkansas Schools Data, where the latest Arkansas Department of Education data are made user-friendly by the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy.

Note: The lowest funded Per Pupil Total Expenditure in the state, at $6,670, is Haas Hall Academy, which by almost every measure is also the highest performing school in Arkansas (e.g. 100% Proficient or Advanced in Math and Literacy; 1st Norm Referenced).