Public schools in Little Rock, AR
71 open public schools with an address in Little Rock, operated by 14 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
71
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
34,274
68 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.1:1
Arkansas median 14.2:1
Charter schools
25
6 magnet · 3 virtual
An overview of Little Rock public schools
The federal directory lists 71 public schools in Little Rock, AR: 35 elementary, 10 middle, 19 high, 7 combined or other. The 68 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 34,274 students, an average of 504 per school. The largest campus is Arkansas Virtual Academy High School (2,567 students), and the largest elementary school is Arkansas Virtual Academy Elementary (1,387).
Little Rock School District operates the most schools here (32), and 3 regular districts have at least one Little Rock campus, plus 11 charter, service, or other agencies. 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 15.1:1, 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 25 charter schools, 6 magnet schools, 3 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 11 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 9 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 8 of 11 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 66% 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 Little Rock
Little Rock School District
Public school district
32 schools in Little Rock · 36 total
Pulaski County Special School District
Public school district
10 schools in Little Rock · 25 total
Premier High Schools of Arkansas
Independent charter agency
7 schools in Little Rock · 8 total
Lisa Academy
Independent charter agency
4 schools in Little Rock · 13 total
Arkansas Virtual Academy
Independent charter agency
3 schools in Little Rock
Estem Public Charter School
Independent charter agency
3 schools in Little Rock
Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind
State operated agency
2 schools in Little Rock
Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock
Independent charter agency
2 schools in Little Rock
Excel Center
Independent charter agency
2 schools in Little Rock
Sheridan School District
Public school district
2 schools in Little Rock · 7 total
Academies of Math and Science
Independent charter agency
1 school in Little Rock
Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools
Independent charter agency
1 school in Little Rock · 3 total
Graduate Arkansas Charter
Independent charter agency
1 school in Little Rock
Scholarmade Achievement Place of Arkansas
Independent charter agency
1 school in Little Rock
Elementary schools in Little Rock
35| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academies of Math and Science School Academies of Math and Science · Charter | KG–08 | 486 | 16.3:1 | |
| Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind Elementary Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind · Special Education School | PK–06 | — | — | |
| Arkansas Virtual Academy Elementary Arkansas Virtual Academy · Charter · Virtual | KG–05 | 1,387 | 43.6:1 | |
| Baker Elementary School Pulaski County Special School District | PK–05 | 407 | 15.1:1 | |
| Bale Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 330 | 15:1 | |
| Carver-Washington STEAM Magnet Elementary School Little Rock School District · Magnet | KG–05 | 232 | 13.5:1 | |
| Chenal Elementary School Pulaski County Special School District | KG–05 | 448 | 15.9:1 | |
| Daisy Bates Elementary School Pulaski County Special School District | PK–05 | 409 | 13.3:1 | |
| Don Roberts Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 1,035 | 19.3:1 | |
| Dr Martin Luther King Jr Leadership & Language Magnet Acad Little Rock School District | PK–05 | 414 | 14.9:1 | |
| Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy Little Rock School District | KG–08 | 1,252 | 15.3:1 | |
| East End Elementary School Sheridan School District | PK–02 | 442 | 15.6:1 | |
| East End Intermediate School Sheridan School District | 03–05 | 416 | 16.1:1 | |
| Estem Elementary School Estem Public Charter School · Charter | KG–06 | 672 | 15.3:1 | |
| Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock · Charter | KG–08 | 754 | 12.3:1 | |
| Forest Heights STEM Academy Little Rock School District | KG–08 | 777 | 16.4:1 | |
| Forest Park Elementary School Little Rock School District | PK–05 | 379 | 18.1:1 | |
| Fulbright Elementary School Little Rock School District | PK–05 | 485 | 17.6:1 | |
| Gibbs Magnet Elementary School Little Rock School District · Magnet | PK–05 | 291 | 14.6:1 | |
| Ivy Hill Preparatory Academy Scholarmade Achievement Place of Arkansas · Charter | KG–08 | 306 | 14:1 | |
| J.A. Fair K8 Preparatory School Little Rock School District | KG–08 | 779 | 14.7:1 | |
| Jefferson Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 359 | 16.4:1 | |
| Joe T. Robinson Elementary School Pulaski County Special School District | PK–05 | 295 | 12.6:1 | |
| Landmark Elementary School Pulaski County Special School District | PK–05 | 301 | 16.7:1 | |
| Lawson Elementary School Pulaski County Special School District | PK–05 | 220 | 12.8:1 | |
| Lisa Academy West Elementary School Lisa Academy · Charter | KG–05 | 575 | 19.2:1 | |
| McDermott Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 254 | 14.1:1 | |
| Otter Creek Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 372 | 15.9:1 | |
| Pulaski Heights Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 266 | 17.8:1 | |
| Stephens Elementary Little Rock School District | PK–05 | 474 | 17.6:1 | |
| Terry Elementary School Little Rock School District | PK–05 | 328 | 15.6:1 | |
| Wakefield Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 493 | 17:1 | |
| Watson Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 383 | 17.4:1 | |
| Western Hills Elementary School Little Rock School District | KG–05 | 202 | 12.6:1 | |
| Williams Magnet Elementary School Little Rock School District · Magnet | KG–05 | 340 | 16.2:1 |
Middle schools in Little Rock
10| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Virtual Academy Middle School Arkansas Virtual Academy · Charter · Virtual | 06–08 | 1,315 | 30.2:1 | |
| Dunbar Business Leadership Entrepreneurship Mag Middle Sch Little Rock School District · Magnet | 06–08 | 315 | 9.8:1 | |
| Estem Junior High Public Charter School Estem Public Charter School · Charter | 07–08 | 401 | 13.4:1 | |
| Jacksonville Lighthouse Middle School Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools · Charter | 05–08 | 156 | 9.4:1 | |
| Joe T. Robinson Middle School Pulaski County Special School District | 06–08 | 607 | 12.4:1 | |
| Lisa Academy West Middle School Lisa Academy · Charter | 06–08 | 430 | 17.2:1 | |
| Mann Multimedia Arts Digital Innovations Magnet Middle Sch Little Rock School District · Magnet | 06–08 | 557 | 13.7:1 | |
| Mills Middle School Pulaski County Special School District | 06–08 | 420 | 9.9:1 | |
| Pinnacle View Middle School Little Rock School District | 06–08 | 807 | 14.2:1 | |
| Pulaski Heights Middle School Little Rock School District | 06–08 | 585 | 14.3:1 |
High schools in Little Rock
19| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind High Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind · Special Education School | 07–12 | — | — | |
| Arkansas Virtual Academy High School Arkansas Virtual Academy · Charter · Virtual | 09–12 | 2,567 | 12.2:1 | |
| Central High School Little Rock School District | 09–12 | 2,371 | 14.7:1 | |
| Estem High School Estem Public Charter School · Charter | 09–12 | 676 | 9.8:1 | |
| Exalt Academy High School Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock · Charter | 09–12 | — | — | |
| Graduate Arkansas Charter High Graduate Arkansas Charter · Charter | 09–12 | 557 | 53.1:1 | |
| Hall High School - West Soi Little Rock School District | 09–12 | 495 | 12.1:1 | |
| Joe T. Robinson High School Pulaski County Special School District | 09–12 | 1,030 | 12.1:1 | |
| Lisa Academy West High School Lisa Academy · Charter | 09–12 | 394 | 12.5:1 | |
| Metropolitan Career & Technical Center Little Rock School District · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Mills University Studies High School Pulaski County Special School District | 09–12 | 612 | 11.9:1 | |
| Parkview Magnet High School Little Rock School District · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,072 | 13.7:1 | |
| Premier High School of Fayetteville Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 14 | 7.3:1 | |
| Premier High School of Fort Smith Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 99 | 3.2:1 | |
| Premier High School of Little Rock Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 78 | 5.6:1 | |
| Premier High School of North Little Rock Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 76 | 27.6:1 | |
| Premier High School of Russellville Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 31 | 9.6:1 | |
| Premier High School of Texarkana Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 67 | 6.8:1 | |
| Premier High School Online Premier High Schools of Arkansas · Charter | 09–12 | 292 | 22.2:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Little Rock
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Park Early Childhood Center Little Rock School District | PK–PK | 195 | 19.5:1 | |
| Geyer Springs Early Childhood Center Little Rock School District | PK–PK | 273 | 19.5:1 | |
| Lisa Academy Arkansas Hybrid School Lisa Academy · Charter | KG–12 | 236 | 15.5:1 | |
| Rockefeller Early Childhood Center Little Rock School District | PK–PK | 317 | 21.2:1 | |
| Romine Early Childhood Center Little Rock School District | PK–PK | 242 | 18.6:1 | |
| The Excel Center Excel Center · Charter | AE–AE | 348 | 38.9:1 | |
| The Excel Center - Springdale Excel Center · Charter | AE–AE | 76 | 15.3:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White30.3%
- Hispanic15.2%
- Black45.8%
- Asian3.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.6%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial3.7%
Enrollment-weighted across 66 Little Rock schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (34,198 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Little Rock
How many public schools are in Little Rock, AR?
The current NCES directory lists 71 open public schools with a location address in Little Rock: 35 elementary, 10 middle, 19 high, 7 combined or other. Together they reported 34,274 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Little Rock?
Schools with an address in Little Rock belong to 14 education agencies, led by Little Rock School District (32 schools), Pulaski County Special School District (10 schools), Premier High Schools of Arkansas (7 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Little Rock?
Arkansas Virtual Academy High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Little Rock, with 2,567 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Little Rock?
Yes. 25 of the 71 public schools in Little Rock are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Academies of Math and Science School, Arkansas Virtual Academy Elementary, Arkansas Virtual Academy 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 Little Rock schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Little Rock public schools is 15.1:1, 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 Little Rock 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