Across Arkansas, school buses are back on the roads, classrooms are filling up, and students are settling into the routines of a new school year.
We want to welcome Arkansas students, teachers, administrators, and school staff back and wish them a successful year ahead.
They begin this year with encouraging signs of academic progress across our state. Since the 2024 baseline, overall student proficiency has increased from 35% to 42%. Math proficiency has risen from 36.4% to 44.2%, while science proficiency has increased from 35.6% to 44%. English language arts proficiency has grown from 33.8% to 39.5%.
We are especially encouraged by the progress of our youngest learners. Third grade reading proficiency has increased from 35% to 43%, and proficiency among students in kindergarten through second grade now exceeds 50% in nearly every subject and grade level measured.
Those numbers represent more than percentages on a report. They represent students mastering new skills, teachers finding ways to help a child understand a difficult concept, and families supporting learning at home. There is still work ahead, but Arkansas students and educators have given us good reason to be optimistic.
As students return to the classroom, members of the House and Senate Education Committees are continuing their work on the state’s biennial educational adequacy study. This comprehensive review helps determine what resources our public schools need to provide every Arkansas student with an adequate and equitable education. The committees will use that work to develop funding recommendations for consideration during the 2027 Regular Session.
As another school year begins, we thank Arkansas educators and school employees for the important work they do every day. Most importantly, we wish every Arkansas student a safe, successful and rewarding school year.