Public schools in Hot Springs, AR
17 open public schools with an address in Hot Springs, operated by 5 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
17
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
9,050
17 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.8:1
Arkansas median 14.2:1
Charter schools
2
6 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Hot Springs public schools
The federal directory lists 17 public schools in Hot Springs, AR: 8 elementary, 4 middle, 5 high. The 17 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 9,050 students, an average of 532 per school. The largest campus is Lakeside High School (1,107 students), and the largest elementary school is Lakeside Intermediate School (721).
Hot Springs School District operates the most schools here (6), and 4 regular districts have at least one Hot Springs campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 15.8:1, higher than the statewide school median of 14.2:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 2 charter schools, 6 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 4 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 3 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 4 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 70% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Hot Springs
Hot Springs School District
Public school district
6 schools in Hot Springs
LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland)
Public school district
5 schools in Hot Springs
Fountain Lake School District
Public school district
3 schools in Hot Springs
Cutter Morning Star School District
Public school district
2 schools in Hot Springs
National Park Technology Center
Other local education agency
1 school in Hot Springs
Elementary schools in Hot Springs
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School Cutter Morning Star School District | PK–06 | 357 | 17.9:1 | |
| Fountain Lake Elementary Fountain Lake School District | PK–04 | 491 | 14.1:1 | |
| Lakeside Intermediate School LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) | 02–04 | 721 | 16.4:1 | |
| Lakeside Primary School LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) | PK–01 | 583 | 19.2:1 | |
| Langston Elementary Leadership Academy Magnet School Hot Springs School District · Magnet | PK–06 | 504 | 18.6:1 | |
| Main Street Visual & Performing Arts Magnet School Hot Springs School District · Magnet | PK–06 | 647 | 15.9:1 | |
| Oaklawn STEM Magnet School Hot Springs School District · Magnet | KG–06 | 452 | 17.2:1 | |
| Park Magnet an IB Pyp World Class School Hot Springs School District · Magnet | PK–06 | 411 | 18.4:1 |
Middle schools in Hot Springs
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Lake Middle School Fountain Lake School District | 05–08 | 389 | 11:1 | |
| Hot Springs Junior Academy Hot Springs School District · Charter · Magnet | 07–09 | 803 | 14.4:1 | |
| Lakeside Junior High School LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) | 07–08 | 581 | 15.7:1 | |
| Lakeside Middle School LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) | 05–06 | 546 | 16.4:1 |
High schools in Hot Springs
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutter-Morning Star High School Cutter Morning Star School District | 07–12 | 331 | 10.7:1 | |
| Fountain Lake High School Fountain Lake School District | 09–12 | 368 | 9.2:1 | |
| Hot Springs World Class High School Hot Springs School District · Charter · Magnet | 10–12 | 759 | 10.4:1 | |
| Lakeside High School LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) | 09–12 | 1,107 | 10.6:1 | |
| National Park College Career Academy National Park Technology Center · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White56%
- Hispanic16%
- Black16.7%
- Asian1.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.5%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial9.3%
Enrollment-weighted across 16 Hot Springs schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (9,050 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Hot Springs
How many public schools are in Hot Springs, AR?
The current NCES directory lists 17 open public schools with a location address in Hot Springs: 8 elementary, 4 middle, 5 high. Together they reported 9,050 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Hot Springs?
Schools with an address in Hot Springs belong to 5 education agencies, led by Hot Springs School District (6 schools), LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) (5 schools), Fountain Lake School District (3 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Hot Springs?
Lakeside High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Hot Springs, with 1,107 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Hot Springs?
Yes. 2 of the 17 public schools in Hot Springs are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Hot Springs Junior Academy, Hot Springs World Class High School. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Hot Springs schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Hot Springs public schools is 15.8:1, higher than the Arkansas school median of 14.2:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Hot Springs guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Arkansas cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Arkansas cities