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Best kept secret at MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
367
Elementary
DISTRICT 320 · STATE 418
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PINE BLUFF SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 050002600251
MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
4501 DOLLARWAY RD, PINE BLUFF, AR 71602 · (870) 534-0726 · Jefferson County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL367 STUDENTS
F
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 3% of Arkansas public elementary schools
- FTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Arkansas public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
24 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.3:1 · STATE 16.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
100%
367 students
DISTRICT 100% · STATE 70%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 57 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 39 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 55 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 43 | 12% |
| Grade 4 | 64 | 17% |
| Grade 5 | 50 | 14% |
| Grade 6 | 59 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (57) is about the same size as its 6th grade class (59).
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 61% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within PINE BLUFF SCHOOL DISTRICT. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ATLAS 2024-25 . % Proficient (Level 3+4)English Language Arts
18.5%
AR avg 34.9% . +8.4pp since 2023
Math
13.6%
AR avg 38.9% . +5.6pp since 2023
What this means: On the ATLAS, Arkansas's statewide test, about 19 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 14 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arkansas schools, those numbers are about 35 and 39. Reading and writing scores are up about 8 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 6 points.
ATLAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 18.5% | 13.6% |
| 2023-24 | 10.1% | 8.0% |
% Proficient (Level 3+4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: ATLAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
11.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
22.7%
based on AR schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-11.2pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 11% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 23% typical for Arkansas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Arkansas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (11.4% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 367 | 100.0% | 11.4% |
| THIRTY-FOURTH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PINE BLUFF | 399 | 100.0% | 10.0% |
| STEWART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FORREST CITY | 400 | 100.0% | 20.1% |
| DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR LEADERSHIP & LANGUAGE MAGNET ACAD LITTLE ROCK | 414 | 99.3% | 11.3% |
| SOUTHWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PINE BLUFF | 345 | 100.0% | 12.9% |
| MADDUX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WEST MEMPHIS | 402 | 100.0% | 12.1% |
Matched among Arkansas elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Arkansas | In Jefferson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 11.4% | #441 of 461 | #9 of 11 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 13.6% | #431 of 465 ▲ 20 | #7 of 11 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 18.5% | #401 of 465 ▲ 48 | #8 of 11 ▲ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 367 | #321 of 531 | #6 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.2:1 | #155 of 480 | #5 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 16.0% | #416 of 480 | #9 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 100% | #7 of 513 | #1 of 12 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 367 | 24.1 | 15.2:1 | 100% (367) |
| 2023-24 | 389 | 25.5 | 15.2:1 | 100% (389) |
| 2022-23 | 436 | 29.8 | 14.6:1 | 100% (436) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Families in PINE BLUFF, Arkansas, are served by MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, a medium-sized elementary school. The school had 367 students in kindergarten through 6 in 2024-25.
PINE BLUFF SCHOOL DISTRICT runs MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL along with 6 other schools, enrolling 2,896 students in total.
Most students at MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are Black: 92% of enrollment. Smaller groups are 4% White. For comparison, the population of Jefferson County is roughly 57% Black. MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has a diversity index of 16%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
With 24.1 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, the ratio at MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL was 15.2:1. Among elementary schools in Arkansas, the typical ratio is 16.0:1. MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's free or reduced-price lunch eligibility rate is 100%. Across public schools in Jefferson County, the average is 77%.
The allk12 Grade for MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is F. Compared with Arkansas public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 3% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
On the allk12 BeatsExpectations measure, MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is 11.2 points below the average proficiency rate on state tests predicted for its free or reduced-price lunch share: 11.4% actual, 22.7% predicted. That is outside both the top and bottom 10% in Arkansas.
Jefferson County has these Census figures: median household income is about $51,096, about 20% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 15%. MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is among the 28 public schools in Jefferson County.
The next-closest public school is PINE BLUFF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, about 1.1 miles away. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. On proficiency, MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is behind the 24.2% nearby average, ranking 6th of 8.
For locale, NCES codes MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL as Town: Distant.
The MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL community page is open for posts about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Jefferson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
64,802
Census ACS
Median income
$51,096
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
20%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
28
8,520 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in PINE BLUFF SCHOOL DISTRICT
- PINE BLUFF HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 688 students
- PINE BLUFF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLMiddle · 610 students
- THIRTY-FOURTH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 399 students
- SOUTHWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 345 students
- BROADMOOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 283 students
- FORREST PARK GREENVILLE PRESCHOOLElementary · 204 students
Other schools in PINE BLUFF
- PINE BLUFF HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 688 students
- PINE BLUFF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLMiddle · 610 students
- WATSON CHAPEL HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 593 students
- FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY HAZEL ST PINE BLUFFElementary · 469 students
- COLEMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 426 students
- THIRTY-FOURTH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 399 students
Other Matthews Elementary schools
4 other US public schools in 4 states are named Matthews Elementary. MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the 4th largest of the 5.
- Matthews ElementaryMatthews, NC · 726 students
- MATTHEWS ELEM.GRAIN VALLEY, MO · 422 students
- Matthews Elementary SchoolNorthport, AL · 401 students
- MATTHEWS ELEMENTARYMATTHEWS, MO · 139 students
Nearby schools
- PINE BLUFF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL1.1 mi · 610
- COLEMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.7 mi · 426
- PINE BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL2.6 mi · 688
- GANDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL2.8 mi · 366
- FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY DOWNTOWN PINE BLUFF2.9 mi · 245
- TAYLOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3.1 mi · 373
Frequently asked questions
About MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow large is MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 367 students in grades KG-06.
Is MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL an elementary, middle, or high school?
MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is an elementary school covering grades KG-06.
How many teachers does MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have?
MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL employs 24 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.2:1.
What is the student diversity at MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Student demographics at MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are roughly 4% White, 2% Hispanic, 92% Black, 2% Two or more.
What district is MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of PINE BLUFF SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.