TASD rises from D to C as two campuses stay F-rated
TEXARKANA, Ark. — The Texarkana Arkansas School District climbed off the state’s D list this year, posting gains in every tested subject even as two of its seven campuses stayed F-rated and its largest school finished essentially flat.
The Arkansas Department of Education released 2025-26 letter grades for districts and schools Thursday. TASD moved from a D to a C, adding 19 points to finish at 392.16 on the state’s 900-point scale.
Proficiency rose in all three tested subjects. The share of TASD students meeting grade-level expectations on the state ATLAS exam went from 24.26% to 28.75% in English language arts, from 20.45% to 24.02% in math and from 25.37% to 29.81% in science. The district’s four-year graduation rate, which lags the accountability year by one cycle, rose from 86.96% to 89.42%.
Each figure still trails the state, where averages ran 37% in English, 38% in math and 42% in science.
“These results demonstrate encouraging progress and reflect the intentional work taking place across our district,” Superintendent Lloyd Jackson said in a statement. “We celebrate our students and staff for the gains we are seeing, while recognizing that there is more work ahead.”
North Heights Community School posted the district’s largest gain, moving from a C to a B and adding 62.68 points. The prekindergarten-through-fifth-grade campus, the district’s smallest at 243 students, was the only TASD school to beat state averages in all three subjects, with 47% of students proficient in English, 58% in math and 53% in science.
Kilpatrick Academy of Public Service rose from an F to a D, gaining 43.69 points. Fairview Academy of Humanities and Innovation held a C while adding 5.60 points, finishing within a point of a B, according to the district.
Arkansas High School, the district’s largest campus at 1,092 students, was essentially unchanged. The school held a C and moved from 401.27 points to 401.29, a gain of two-hundredths of a point.
Among Arkansas high schools statewide, 38% earned a C, the most common grade. Ten percent received an A and 37% a B.
Two campuses lost ground. Trice Academy of Performing Arts slipped 5.46 points but kept its C. Harmony Academy of Music and the Arts fell 18.24 points and remained an F, with 16% of students proficient in English against a state average of 42%. Among its lowest-performing students, 26% met growth targets in English and 28% in math, roughly half the state rates.
Arkansas Middle School stayed F-rated for a second consecutive year despite adding 28.49 points. Fewer than one in four students there met grade-level expectations in any subject.
District leaders said overall achievement remains below state medians and that accelerating progress for students in the lowest-performing quarter is a priority. They noted that growth in English among those students declined even as overall English achievement improved. State figures show 42% of TASD’s lowest-performing students met English growth targets, against a state average of 48%.
The district pointed to several efforts underway, including Solution Tree professional learning community work, tutoring through Kids First, CKLA literacy intervention and Kagan instructional structures.
“Our goal is not simply a higher letter grade,” Jackson said. “We want sustained academic growth that reaches every classroom and every student.”
Statewide, 26 of Arkansas’ 254 districts earned an A and nine received an F. The number of A-rated schools rose from 128 to 141, while F-rated schools fell from 108 to 72.
Letter grades are based on the Arkansas Teaching, Learning and Assessment System exam, given each spring in grades 3 through 10. Schools can earn up to 900 points across achievement, year-over-year growth and, at the high school level, graduation and postsecondary readiness. Growth accounts for two-thirds of the possible points.
Campus results
| School | Grades | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Heights Community School | P-5 | C | B | 460.38 | +62.68 |
| Kilpatrick Academy of Public Service | K-5 | F | D | 333.00 | +43.69 |
| Arkansas Middle School | 6-8 | F | F | 323.30 | +28.49 |
| Fairview Academy of Humanities and Innovation | K-5 | C | C | 440.53 | +5.60 |
| Arkansas High School | 9-12 | C | C | 401.29 | +0.02 |
| Trice Academy of Performing Arts | K-5 | C | C | 412.14 | -5.46 |
| Harmony Academy of Music and the Arts | K-5 | F | F | 258.88 | -18.24 |
| District | D | C | 392.16 | +19.00 |
By point total, the district ranks: North Heights (460.38), Fairview (440.53), Trice (412.14), Arkansas High (401.29), Kilpatrick (333.00), Arkansas Middle (323.30), Harmony (258.88).
District achievement vs. state
| Subject | TASD 2024-25 | TASD 2025-26 | State 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English language arts | 24.26% | 28.75% | 37% |
| Math | 20.45% | 24.02% | 38% |
| Science | 25.37% | 29.81% | 42% |
| Four-year graduation rate | 86.96% | 89.42% | 92% |