Can I use Garland County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Garland County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Garland County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Garland County?

Start with the 28 listed public schools and 8 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Garland County Schools & Education

Name: Garland County, Arkansas Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Garland County, Arkansas

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

30/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

87.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,321

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,160

School Score

30/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#54

of 75 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Garland County

Measured School Summary

Garland County faces educational challenges with a school score of 30/100 and a graduation rate of 87.7%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,321 per pupil, Garland County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 22% below the Arkansas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Garland County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

28 public schools and 8 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

30/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #54 of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data.

Completion

87.7%

2.6 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,321

$161 above the state average

School coverage

8 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Garland County has 28 public schools across 8 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Garland County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Garland County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#54

of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data. The county score is 8 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

4,131 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 1

6 listed schools in this county slice.

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,690 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,466 students

Elementary 2Middle 2High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

1,349 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 6 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Garland County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Garland County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Garland County, Arkansas

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Diverse Educational Hub in Hot Springs

Garland County manages a robust infrastructure of 28 public schools across eight different districts, serving over 14,800 students. The landscape includes 13 elementary schools and 14 secondary or specialized campuses to accommodate a growing population.

Large Districts and Charter Options

Lake Hamilton is the county's largest district with 4,131 students, closely followed by Hot Springs and Lakeside. Charter schools play a significant role here, making up over 14% of the total school offerings to provide specialized learning paths.

City Schools Meet Rural Classrooms

The county offers a diverse mix of 11 city-based schools and 16 rural campuses, reflecting the area's varied geography. Lakeside High School is the largest campus with 1,112 students, while the average school size across the county sits at 549.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Garland County

Reported Enrollment

14,813

28 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

14% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary13

Middle6

High8

Other1

8 School Districts in Garland County

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

3 schools

1,349 students

JESSIEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

3 schools

846 students

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.

2 schools

690 students

MOUNTAIN PINE SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

641 students

NATIONAL PARK TECHNOLOGY CENTER

1 school

0 students

28 Public Schools in Garland County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 28 matching schools

Public schools in Garland County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	9–12	High	1,112
LAKE HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT	PEARCY, 71964Rural: Fringe	10–12	High	936
HOT SPRINGS JUNIOR ACADEMY	Record	HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71913City: Small	7–9	Charter	815
HOT SPRINGS WORLD CLASS HIGH SCHOOL	Record	HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71913City: Small	10–12	Charter	739
LAKESIDE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL	Record	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	2–4	Primary	720
LAKE HAMILTON JR. HIGH SCHOOL	Record	LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT	PEARCY, 71964Rural: Fringe	8–9	Other	694
MAIN STREET VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS MAGNET SCHOOL	Record	HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71913City: Small	PK–6	Primary	675
LAKE HAMILTON PRIMARY SCHOOL	Record	LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT	PEARCY, 71964Rural: Fringe	PK–1	Primary	666
LAKE HAMILTON MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT	PEARCY, 71964Rural: Fringe	6–7	Middle	631
LAKE HAMILTON INTERM. SCHOOL	Record	LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT	PEARCY, 71964Rural: Fringe	4–5	Primary	626
LAKE HAMILTON ELEMENTARY SCH	Record	LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT	PEARCY, 71964Rural: Fringe	2–3	Primary	578
LAKESIDE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	7–8	Middle	557
LANGSTON ELEMENTARY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY MAGNET SCHOOL	Record	HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	PK–6	Primary	554
LAKESIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	5–6	Middle	553
LAKESIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL	Record	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	PK–1	Primary	524
FOUNTAIN LAKE ELEMENTARY	Record	FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901Rural: Fringe	PK–4	Primary	514
OAKLAWN STEM MAGNET SCHOOL	Record	HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71913City: Small	PK–6	Primary	491
FOUNTAIN LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL COBRA DIGITAL PREP ACADEMY	Record	FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901Rural: Fringe	5–8	Charter	429
PARK MAGNET AN IB PYP WORLD CLASS SCHOOL	Record	HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901City: Small	PK–6	Primary	416
FOUNTAIN LAKE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL	Record	FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT	HOT SPRINGS, 71901Rural: Fringe	9–12	Charter	406

LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,112 students

LAKE HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEARCY, 71964 / Rural: Fringe

Profile10–12High936 students

HOT SPRINGS JUNIOR ACADEMY

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71913 / City: Small

Record7–9Charter815 students

HOT SPRINGS WORLD CLASS HIGH SCHOOL

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71913 / City: Small

Record10–12Charter739 students

LAKESIDE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

Record2–4Primary720 students

LAKE HAMILTON JR. HIGH SCHOOL

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEARCY, 71964 / Rural: Fringe

Record8–9Other694 students

MAIN STREET VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS MAGNET SCHOOL

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71913 / City: Small

RecordPK–6Primary675 students

LAKE HAMILTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEARCY, 71964 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–1Primary666 students

LAKE HAMILTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEARCY, 71964 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–7Middle631 students

LAKE HAMILTON INTERM. SCHOOL

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEARCY, 71964 / Rural: Fringe

Record4–5Primary626 students

LAKE HAMILTON ELEMENTARY SCH

LAKE HAMILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PEARCY, 71964 / Rural: Fringe

Record2–3Primary578 students

LAKESIDE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle557 students

LANGSTON ELEMENTARY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY MAGNET SCHOOL

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

RecordPK–6Primary554 students

LAKESIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

Record5–6Middle553 students

LAKESIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

RecordPK–1Primary524 students

FOUNTAIN LAKE ELEMENTARY

FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–4Primary514 students

OAKLAWN STEM MAGNET SCHOOL

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71913 / City: Small

RecordPK–6Primary491 students

FOUNTAIN LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL COBRA DIGITAL PREP ACADEMY

FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Charter429 students

PARK MAGNET AN IB PYP WORLD CLASS SCHOOL

HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / City: Small

RecordPK–6Primary416 students

FOUNTAIN LAKE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL

FOUNTAIN LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

HOT SPRINGS, 71901 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12Charter406 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,321

State avg $6,160

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Garland County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Arkansas counties have the highest graduation rates?

Newton County (96.3%), Cleveland County (96.1%), and Conway County (95.8%) currently lead Arkansas among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Arkansas?

Across Arkansas counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,160. The highest current county values are Dallas County ($9,545), Stone County ($7,285), and Woodruff County ($7,079). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Garland County?

Garland County has a school score of 30/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Garland County?

The high school graduation rate in Garland County is 87.7%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Garland County spend per student?

Garland County spends $6,321 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Garland County, Arkansas — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Garland County, Arkansas?

What are the major school districts in Garland County, Arkansas?

What is the school experience like in Garland County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

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By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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