BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Set in HOPE, Arkansas, BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a compact junior high, part of HOPE SCHOOL DISTRICT. It hosts 198 students across grades 5 through 6. Compared to the state average of about 464 students per school, that is 57% leaner than typical.

Across the 6 schools in HOPE SCHOOL DISTRICT (2,212 students total), BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL records that 55% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 30% Hispanic, 13% White, 3% multiracial. By comparison, Hempstead County as a whole is about 29% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.4:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Hempstead County (around 90%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is in the bottom 10% of Arkansas public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 22.3%; BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL posts 6.3%, -16.0 points below that line.

In the area at large, Hempstead County reports that median household earnings sit near $46,787, 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 15%. In all, Hempstead County runs 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,212 students), of which BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

HOPE HIGH SCHOOL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 5 other public schools cluster around BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 20.0%.

BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL operates from a town-center location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at BERYL HENRY UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has decreased 25%, going from 263 students in 2018 to 198 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment rose from 47% to 55% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 13.7:1 in 2018 to 12.4:1 today.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.