Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0Hot Springs’s public schools score below 56% of Arkansas districts on tests and graduation
The grade covers the two public school districts serving Hot Springs, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Arkansas, not nationally.
From Arkansas state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% 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.
Hot Springs’s schools, in brief
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 38% of tested students were proficient in reading and 37% in math, against 40% and 38% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
80% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 90% across Arkansas. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
Hot Springs spends $16,230 per student and Lakeside $12,251, against $13,585 across Arkansas (FY2024). Neither counts toward the grade. Districts ↓
Choice beyond the district
Hot Springs World Class High School, Hot Springs Junior Academy, St. Johns Catholic School (private), St. Luke' S Episcopal Day School (private) and Hot Springs Adventist School (private) are in town. Every school ↓
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.
What’s behind Hot Springs’s grade
C+: better than 44% of Arkansas school districts, #87 of 123 Arkansas towns. Both inputs trail the Arkansas average; test scores are the closer of the two to typical.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Hot Springs, with each school’s own grade.
7th grade in Hot Springs
Lakeside Junior High School
Grades 7–8 · 581 students · 16:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Hot Springs · depends on your address
Lakeside High School
Grades 8–12 · 1,107 students · 11:1 students per teacher
Lakeside Junior High School
Grades 7–8 · 581 students · 16:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Hot Springs
Lakeside High School
Grades 8–12 · 1,107 students · 11:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Hot Springs
Lakeside High School
Grades 8–12 · 1,107 students · 11:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Hot Springs
Lakeside High School
Grades 8–12 · 1,107 students · 11:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Hot Springs
Lakeside High School
Grades 8–12 · 1,107 students · 11:1 students per teacher
Hot Springs runs its own schools through grade 12 (Hot Springs School District). From grade PK, students attend the Lakeside School District, shared with Diamondhead. Parts of Hot Springs (9% of its land) are served by Cutter-Morning Star instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
Two districts serve Hot Springs
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Below the state in reading
Hot Springs vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Arkansas towns that share Hot Springs’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs | C+ | Hot Springs PK–12 · Lakeside PK–12 |
Every school in Hot Springs
14 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).
Questions about Hot Springs’s schools
Are Hot Springs’s schools good?
On Arkansas’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Hot Springs children attend score below 56% of Arkansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #87 of 123 Arkansas towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 46%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Hot Springs in?
Two districts: Hot Springs School District runs grades PK–12, and Lakeside School District runs grades PK–12, shared with Diamondhead.
Where do Hot Springs kids go to high school?
Lakeside High School, with 1,107 students; its own test results earn a B.
What is Hot Springs’s graduation rate?
80% of the class of 2023 in Hot Springs School District graduated in four years, against 90% across Arkansas.
How much does Hot Springs spend per student?
$16,230 in Hot Springs School District and $12,251 in Lakeside School District (FY2024), against $13,585 across Arkansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Hot Springs?
Yes: St. Johns Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 119 students), St. Luke' S Episcopal Day School (religious, grades PK–K, 65 students) and Hot Springs Adventist School (religious, grades K–6, 9 students). Hot Springs also has 2 charter schools, free and open by application.
Parents talk
What Hot Springs families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Hot Springs → 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.