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Fairfield Bay, Arkansas 005Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0
C−
Schools in Fairfield Bay · Shirley School District

Fairfield Bay’s public schools score below 79% of Arkansas districts on tests and graduation

22% of students in Fairfield Bay’s public schools are proficient in math, below the Arkansas average (38%). The grade covers the public school district serving Fairfield Bay, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Arkansas, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From Arkansas state tests taken in spring 2022, when 97% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
32%
▼ 8 pts vs AR 40%
2021–22
Math proficiency
22%
▼ 16 pts vs AR 38%
2021–22
Spent per student
$17.7K
▲ 30% vs AR $13.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
9.2
AR 12.4 · smaller classes
Schools in town
0
279 students on the public path
In brief

Fairfield Bay’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 260 Arkansas towns with household incomes within a quarter of Fairfield Bay’s, its schools beat 15%, lower than their 21% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 32% of tested students were proficient in reading and 22% in math, against 40% and 38% statewide; 97% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $17,686 per student, against $13,585 across Arkansas (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle school

From grade 7 the district’s path is Shirley High School. Enrollment is down 14% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Fairfield Bay’s grade

C− Test scores

C−: better than 21% of Arkansas school districts. Test scores are below the Arkansas average; there is no graduation rate to add.

Arkansas school districts we grade (261)Better than 21%
Lower resultsHigher results
Arkansas towns with similar household incomes (260)Better than 15%
DCA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 198 test results could put Fairfield Bay anywhere from D to C. The tests are from spring 2022, when 97% of Fairfield Bay’s students in the tested grades sat them (198 in math, 199 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Fairfield Bay, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–6Shirley Elementary Schoolin ShirleyD
7–12Shirley High Schoolin ShirleyC

Fairfield Bay’s public schools are run by Shirley School District, which also serves Shirley. Parts of Fairfield Bay (17% of its land) are served by West Side instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Shirley School DistrictGrades K–12 · 2 schools · 279 students, down 14% since 2020–21 · 9.2 per teacher (AR 12.4)
$17,686AR $13,585 · FY2024
C−
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading32%
State average 39.9% · 199 students tested
Math22%
State average 38.3% · 198 students tested

Fairfield Bay vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Arkansas towns that share Fairfield Bay’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Fairfield BayC−Shirley

Every school in Fairfield Bay

2 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Arkansas’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Fairfield Bayin other towns
Shirley Elementary School
Elementary · Grades K–6 · Shirley
D
169 students11:1Rate it →
Shirley High School
High · Grades 7–12 · Shirley
C
110 students8:1Rate it →

Questions about Fairfield Bay’s schools

Are Fairfield Bay’s schools good?

On Arkansas’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Fairfield Bay children attend score below 79% of Arkansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C− Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 15%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Fairfield Bay in?

Shirley School District, which runs grades K–12 and enrolls 279 students in 2 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Fairfield Bay are served by West Side.

How much does Fairfield Bay spend per student?

$17,686 in Shirley School District (FY2024), against $13,585 across Arkansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Fairfield Bay families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Fairfield Bay → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Arkansas. Stars are from neighbors.