South Side School District (Van Buren)

334 Southside Rd
Bee Branch, AR 72013
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public preschool serving 269 students in South Side School District (Van Buren). This district's average pre testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in Arkansas.
Public Preschool in South Side School District (Van Buren) have an average math proficiency score of 47% (versus the Arkansas public pre school average of 46%), and reading proficiency score of 32% (versus the 36% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 10% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the Arkansas public preschool average of 42% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (AR)
# Schools
2 Schools
306 Schools
# Students
518 Students
126,597 Students
# Teachers
55 Teachers
7,964 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
9:1
9:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

South Side School District (Van Buren), which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 256 school districts in Arkansas (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (AR)
#122 out of 258 school districts
(Top 50%)
40%
39%
36%
40%
29%
36%
(21-22)
≥90%
88%
(2022-23)
11.2%
22.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.19
0.61
% American Indian
1%
n/a
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
3%
17%
% Black
1%
17%
% White
90%
58%
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
% Two or more races
5%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,293 is higher than the state median of $12,976. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,979 is higher than the state median of $12,888. The school district spending/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
This School District
This State (AR)
Total Revenue
$7 MM
$6,371 MM
Spending
$8 MM
$6,327 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,293
$12,976
Spending / Student
$14,979
$12,888

Best South Side School District (Van Buren) Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
South Side Elementary School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
334 Southside Road
Bee Branch, AR 72013
(501) 654-2200
Gr: PK-6 | 269 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 10%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 2 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 518 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 10%
  • : ≥90% (Btm 50% in AR)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 40% (Top 50%)
  • : 36% (Btm 50%)
  • : 29% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AR Dept. of Education

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