J. O. Kelly Middle School

Summary:

J. O. Kelly Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-7 in Springdale, Arkansas, with 564 students. The school consistently underperforms academically compared to the Springdale School District and the state of Arkansas, with only 17.5% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 21.1% in mathematics, far below district and state averages.

J. O. Kelly Middle School has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranks 297 out of 335 Arkansas middle schools, placing it in the bottom third. The school has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 91.9% to 93.17% over the past three years, significantly higher than the district and state averages. However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.2 to 11.3 over the same period.

When compared to other middle schools in the Springdale School District, J. O. Kelly Middle School consistently underperforms. For example, Hellstern Middle School ranked 29th out of 335 Arkansas middle schools in 2023-2024 and had significantly higher proficiency rates. Similarly, Woodland Junior High School in the Fayetteville School District ranked 15th and had much higher proficiency rates across all subjects.

Detail:

Public 6-7

1879 E Robinson
Springdale, AR 72764

(479) 750-8730

District: Springdale School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
297^th of 335 Arkansas Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,807

Students who attend J. O. Kelly Middle School usually attend:

High:

Springdale High School

Feeder schools for J. O. Kelly Middle School:

Elementary:	Bayyari Elementary School
	George Elementary School
	Harp Elementary School
	Jones Elementary School
	More...
	Linda Childers Knapp Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 641

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.8%

Pacific Islander:

23.6%

White:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.2%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare J. O. Kelly Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details J. O. Kelly Middle School ranks worse than 88.7% of middle schools in Arkansas. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Springdale School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.64. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (63.8%), Pacific Islander (23.6%), White (9.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Springdale School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at J. O. Kelly Middle School is 12.6, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Springdale School District! (See more...)

Compare J. O. Kelly Middle School employs 50.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at J. O. Kelly Middle School is $9,807. 2 middle schools in the Springdale School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

J. O. Kelly Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks J. O. Kelly Middle School 297^th of 335 Arkansas public middle schools. (See J. O. Kelly Middle School in the ranking list.)

Springdale School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Springdale School District 145^th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for J. O. Kelly Middle School.

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Rank History for J. O. Kelly Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AR State Percentile
2005	45.82	127^th	208	38.9%
2006	46.51	123^rd	206	40.3%
2007	28.56	191^st	225	15.1%
2009	29.67	193^rd	240	19.6%
2010	45.50	167^th	254	34.3%
2011	53.93	139^th	264	47.3%
2012	51.76	154^th	265	41.9%
2013	56.19	135^th	278	51.4%
2014	58.87	121^st	280	56.8%
2015	49.59	125^th	275	54.5%
2016	44.43	186^th	312	40.4%
2017	48.92	170^th	315	46.0%
2018	45.74	186^th	318	41.5%
2019	23.40	265^th	319	16.9%
2021	18.93	288^th	330	12.7%
2022	13.21	292^nd	318	8.2%
2023	18.97	281^st	330	14.8%
2024	16.64	297^th	335	11.3%

See the entire list of Arkansas Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

75%

25%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, March 21, 2022

tons of drugs found, cigs, and tons of fights broke out everyday, everyone was rude too haha. I also found several bugs in my food. And my milk was spoiled half of the time Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, March 16, 2017

I was a student at J.O. Kelly MS back in 1996. I am proud to say I was one of the first students to attend this school. Principal Ford is amazing, she has a passion for this school that runs deep. I look back fondly at my days at JO Kelly. I am a very proud JO Kelly Knight! If I still lived in Arkansas, I would want my children to attend such a wonderful school. Close Quote

by a teacher
Sunday, June 6, 2010

Arkansas Diamond School 2008-2009
National School to Watch 2008-2009 Close Quote

Enrollment information for J. O. Kelly Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1995	306	1	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	323
1996	306	1	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	323
1997	618	1	11	42	2	n/a	n/a	674
1998	596	1	17	62	6	n/a	n/a	682
1999	596	1	39	72	7	n/a	n/a	715
2000	596	8	44	101	7	n/a	n/a	756
2001	553	4	44	188	6	n/a	n/a	795
2002	570	6	52	254	15	n/a	n/a	897
2003	570	6	52	254	15	n/a	n/a	897
2004	537	14	65	349	9	n/a	n/a	974
2005	555	18	66	410	5	n/a	n/a	1054
2006	445	12	70	355	7	n/a	n/a	889
2007	389	13	78	446	1	n/a	n/a	927
2008	341	20	80	421	2	n/a	n/a	864
2009	362	27	101	445	3	n/a	n/a	938
2010	342	30	19	454	6	105	16	972
2011	346	35	28	500	3	128	17	1057
2012	317	33	23	514	3	146	26	1062
2013	129	22	14	417	3	65	7	657
2014	109	20	11	447	3	77	8	675
2015	135	20	13	516	1	93	7	785
2016	152	16	12	486	1	95	7	769
2017	158	19	12	471	1	94	5	760
2018	117	26	15	551	1	94	8	812
2019	90	21	12	585	3	132	6	849
2020	93	12	8	541	3	141	13	811
2021	47	10	8	430	1	136	10	642
2022	46	12	7	429	2	140	8	644
2023	50	10	5	348	2	141	8	564
2024	59	11	5	409	1	151	5	641

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at J. O. Kelly Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	323	16.2	19.9	32.2
1996	323	16.2	19.9	32.2
1997	674	33.7	20.0	31.9
1998	682	33.7	20.2	33.1
1999	715	22.7	31.5	46.7
2000	756	42.0	18.0	52.9
2001	795	47.0	16.9	52.6
2002	897	48.0	18.7	53.5
2003	897	48.0	18.7	53.5
2004	974	57.0	17.1	60.2
2005	1054	64.0	16.5	61.5
2006	889	51.0	17.4	59.1
2007	927	63.0	14.7	68.3
2008	864	63.0	13.7	67.5
2009	938	68.0	13.8	70
2010	972	65.3	14.5	70.7
2011	1057	65.0	16.2	76.7
2012	1062	65.8	16.1	79.9
2013	657	47.6	13.7	84.9
2014	675	50.5	13.3	87.4
2015	785	58.0	13.5	86.8
2016	769	61.0	12.6	87.4
2017	760	57.6	13.1	57.6
2018	812	62.6	12.9	58.6
2019	849	60.6	13.9	87.9
2020	811	64.7	12.5	89.6
2021	642	61.5	10.4	91.9
2022	644	56.7	11.3	93.2
2023	564	55.2	10.2	92
2024	641	50.6	12.6	95.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio J. O. Kelly Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	323	16.2	19.9	32.2
1996	323	16.2	19.9	32.2
1997	674	33.7	20.0	31.9
1998	682	33.7	20.2	33.1
1999	715	22.7	31.5	46.7
2000	756	42.0	18.0	52.9
2001	795	47.0	16.9	52.6
2002	897	48.0	18.7	53.5
2003	897	48.0	18.7	53.5
2004	974	57.0	17.1	60.2
2005	1054	64.0	16.5	61.5
2006	889	51.0	17.4	59.1
2007	927	63.0	14.7	68.3
2008	864	63.0	13.7	67.5
2009	938	68.0	13.8	70
2010	972	65.3	14.5	70.7
2011	1057	65.0	16.2	76.7
2012	1062	65.8	16.1	79.9
2013	657	47.6	13.7	84.9
2014	675	50.5	13.3	87.4
2015	785	58.0	13.5	86.8
2016	769	61.0	12.6	87.4
2017	760	57.6	13.1	57.6
2018	812	62.6	12.9	58.6
2019	849	60.6	13.9	87.9
2020	811	64.7	12.5	89.6
2021	642	61.5	10.4	91.9
2022	644	56.7	11.3	93.2
2023	564	55.2	10.2	92
2024	641	50.6	12.6	95.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for J. O. Kelly Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,896 (19.3%)	$7,911 (80.7%)	$9,807

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on J. O. Kelly Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 265^th of 319 Middle schools	Ranks 281^st of 330 Middle schools	2.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	59.7	51.6	8.1%
6th Grade English (Springdale School District)	66.1	67	0.9%
6th Grade English (Arkansas)	72.8	67.6	5.2%
6th Grade Math (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	48.1	41	7.1%
6th Grade Math (Springdale School District)	59.4	53.7	5.7%
6th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.7	47	6.7%
6th Grade Science (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	25.2	18	7.2%
6th Grade Science (Springdale School District)	38.9	37.4	1.5%
6th Grade Science (Arkansas)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
6th Grade Reading (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	31.1	18.4	12.7%
6th Grade Reading (Springdale School District)	38.1	35.8	2.3%
6th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	43.1	39	4.1%
7th Grade English (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	67.8	63.6	4.2%
7th Grade English (Springdale School District)	76.5	74.5	2%
7th Grade English (Arkansas)	78.3	75.1	3.2%
7th Grade Math (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	35.1	24.9	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Springdale School District)	49.6	41.8	7.8%
7th Grade Math (Arkansas)	47.7	39.6	8.1%
7th Grade Science (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	28.7	19.9	8.8%
7th Grade Science (Springdale School District)	41.1	35.4	5.7%
7th Grade Science (Arkansas)	43	38.5	4.5%
7th Grade Reading (J. O. Kelly Middle School)	28.5	18.5	10%
7th Grade Reading (Springdale School District)	35.5	31	4.5%
7th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	39.2	34.2	5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	849	564	33.6%
African American	21	10	52.4%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	12	5	58.3%
Hispanic	585	348	40.5%
Pacific Islander	132	141	6.8%
White	90	50	44.4%
Two or More Races	6	8	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87.9%	92%	4.2%

Schools Near J. O. Kelly Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)					ATLAS Reading (2024)					ATLAS Mathematics (2024)					ATLAS Algebra (2024)			ATLAS Geometry (2024)		ATLAS Science (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 7th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 8th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
J. O. Kelly Middle School	Public	6-7	1879 E Robinson	Springdale	72764	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 750-8730	641	51	12.6	95.2%	59 (9.2%)	11 (1.7%)	409 (63.8%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	151 (23.6%)	5 (0.8%)	16.6	297^th of 335 public middle schools	11.3%		19	281^st of 330 public middle schools	14.8%	16		21.2	13.4		17.5		21.5	13.1		17.5		22.8	19.1		21.1							15.7	16.5		16.0	$9,807	$1,896	$7,911
Sonora Middle School	Public	6-7	17051 E Hwy 412	Springdale	72764	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 750-8821	617	48	12.9	87.0%	144 (23.3%)	10 (1.6%)	271 (43.9%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	169 (27.4%)	14 (2.3%)	31.2	241^st of 335 public middle schools	28.1%		23.9	271^st of 330 public middle schools	17.9%	30		20.9	19.8		20.4		20.6	19.1		19.9		24.9	36.3		30.4							30.5	30.1		30.3	$10,360	$1,899	$8,461
Helen Tyson Middle School	Public	6-7	3304 S 40th	Springdale	72762	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 750-8720	675	53	12.7	82.4%	145 (21.5%)	16 (2.4%)	371 (55.0%)	6 (0.9%)	6 (0.9%)	113 (16.7%)	18 (2.7%)	39.9	206^th of 335 public middle schools	38.5%		43.8	202^nd of 330 public middle schools	38.8%	4		23.7	26.9		25.3		25.0	27.2		26.1		27.4	43.7		35.7							25.2	32.1		28.7	$10,648	$1,643	$9,005
McNair Middle School	Public	5-6	3030 E Mission Blvd	Fayetteville	72703	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 527-3660	761	41	18.5	19.1%	620 (81.5%)	29 (3.8%)	44 (5.8%)	18 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.3%)	38 (5.0%)								(n/a)	61.9	63.3			62.6	61.6	61.9			61.8	64.3	71.7			68.0						64.0	59.3			61.6	$8,778	$1,040	$7,738
Woodland Junior High School	Public	7-8	1 E Poplar St	Fayetteville	72703	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 444-3067	713	57	12.5	25.5%	522 (73.2%)	49 (6.9%)	66 (9.3%)	18 (2.5%)	5 (0.7%)	5 (0.7%)	48 (6.7%)	92.6	15^th of 335 public middle schools	95.5%		90.8	13^th of 330 public middle schools	96.1%	2			48.4	49.4	48.9			47.3	49.4	48.3			68.8	49.2	61.9		90.4	90.8	100.0	100.0			67.2	56.9	62.1	$11,165	$1,609	$9,556
Hellstern Middle School	Public	6-7	7771 Har Ber Ave	Springdale	72762	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 750-8725	851	59	14.4	43.8%	512 (60.2%)	24 (2.8%)	224 (26.3%)	16 (1.9%)	3 (0.4%)	49 (5.8%)	23 (2.7%)	85.2	29^th of 335 public middle schools	91.3%		85.3	29^th of 330 public middle schools	91.2%			48.0	40.8		44.3		47.7	39.1		43.3		50.6	55.3		53.0							54.9	55.8		55.3	$8,631	$965	$7,667
Holt Middle School	Public	5-6	2365 N Rupple Rd	Fayetteville	72704	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 527-3670	449	27	16.6	51.9%	243 (54.1%)	65 (14.5%)	78 (17.4%)	18 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	36 (8.0%)								(n/a)	49.4	38.5			43.3	50.5	39.9			44.5	43.8	52.6			48.8						47.4	40.0			43.2	$11,444	$1,920	$9,523
Ramay Junior High School	Public	7-8	401 S Sang Ave	Fayetteville	72701	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 444-3064	721	55	13.1	51.3%	376 (52.1%)	109 (15.1%)	135 (18.7%)	17 (2.4%)	5 (0.7%)	15 (2.1%)	64 (8.9%)	61	101^st of 335 public middle schools	69.9%		50.7	179^th of 330 public middle schools	45.8%	78			36.3	30.6	33.6			36.4	32.0	34.3			40.6	24.5	34.1	100.0	76.0	80.9	100.0	100.0			41.6	36.2	39.1	$12,095	$2,358	$9,738
Kirksey Middle School	Public	6-8	101 W Price Lane	Rogers	72758	Benton County	Rogers School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 631-3625	957	67	14.2	57.9%	307 (32.1%)	15 (1.6%)	558 (58.3%)	14 (1.5%)	4 (0.4%)	32 (3.3%)	27 (2.8%)	77.3	50^th of 335 public middle schools	85.1%		69.2	86^th of 330 public middle schools	73.9%	36		40.0	43.2	39.4	40.7		40.3	42.2	39.6	40.7		38.6	44.9	46.0	43.2		87.5	87.5	100.0	100.0		46.2	49.4	50.6	48.9	$8,776	$971	$7,805
John L Colbert Middle School	Public	5-6	888 S. Rupple Road	Fayetteville	72704	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(479) 718-0254	442	28	15.7	62.4%	204 (46.2%)	85 (19.2%)	88 (19.9%)	9 (2.0%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (1.8%)	46 (10.4%)								(n/a)	35.3	29.3			32.4	34.8	27.9			31.5	36.1	34.6			35.4						37.2	27.0			32.2

Frequently Asked Questions about J. O. Kelly Middle School

What district is J. O. Kelly Middle School in?

Springdale School District

How many students attend J. O. Kelly Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 641 students attended J. O. Kelly Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of J. O. Kelly Middle School?

Students at J. O. Kelly Middle School are 64% Hispanic, 24% Pacific Islander, 9% White, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of J. O. Kelly Middle School attend?

Students who attend J. O. Kelly Middle School usually go on to attend Springdale High School

Is J. O. Kelly Middle School a good school?

J. O. Kelly Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.3% of Arkansas middle schools.

Rate J. O. Kelly Middle School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.