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Watson Chapel High School

Public Grades 9-12

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 291 Arkansas High Schools

Better than 4% of Arkansas high schools

Summary

Watson Chapel High School is a public high school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, serving 639 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Watson Chapel School District, which is ranked 245 out of 250 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watson Chapel High School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Arkansas high schools over the past decade, with a statewide ranking between 223 and 278 out of 263-305 high schools. The school has maintained a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, with a brief 1-star rating in 2014-2015 and 2016-2017. Academically, the school consistently underperforms the state average in standardized test scores across all subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates well below the state averages.

In comparison, the nearby schools, such as Rison High School, Woodlawn High School, and White Hall High School, generally outperform Watson Chapel High School in academic metrics, with higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings. These nearby schools also have lower percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a more economically advantaged student population. Despite the school's consistent low performance, there is no evidence of significant improvement efforts or interventions being implemented to address the academic challenges.

593

Students ?

8.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,408

Per pupil spending ?

58.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4000 Camden Road
Pine Bluff, AR 71603

(870) 879-3230

District: Watson Chapel School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

89.5%

White:

5.6%

Hispanic:

2.9%

See top rated Arkansas high schools

Compare Watson Chapel High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2015 → 4th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (8% vs 34% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Arkansas average (83% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school8%

District avg12%

Arkansas avg34%

278^th of 291

Arkansas public high schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to bottom 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

245^th of 250Watson Chapel School District among Arkansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2025	10.5	278 of 291	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	278 of 305	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	274 of 295	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	265 of 282	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.7	264 of 290	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	265 of 282	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.0	239 of 263	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	20.3	230 of 264	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.4	250 of 269	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	25.1	223 of 267	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	9.7	252 of 268	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.7	255 of 271	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	15.6	239 of 266	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.5	235 of 266	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	13.3	236 of 262	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.6	219 of 261	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	16.8	225 of 256	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	29.0	192 of 258	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	24.0	188 of 232	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2024-2025) ?

Reading10%-26 vs state

English Language Arts9%-25 vs state

Biology9%-29 vs state

Geometry6%-16 vs state

Algebra4%-27 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, July 26, 2019

I graduated from this school in 2001. To me it was the best High School EVER Close Quote

Schools Near Watson Chapel High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2025)					ATLAS Reading (2025)					ATLAS Mathematics (2025)			ATLAS Algebra (2025)			ATLAS Geometry (2025)			ATLAS Science (2025)			ATLAS Biology (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 9th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 10th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Watson Chapel High School	Public	9-12	4000 Camden Road	Pine Bluff	71603	Jefferson County	Watson Chapel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 879-3230	593	66	8.9	58.5%	33 (5.6%)	531 (89.5%)	17 (2.9%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	10.5	278^th of 291 public high schools	4.5%		15.6	278^th of 305 public high schools	8.9%				8.5	9.9	9.3			10.2	9.2	9.6					3.6	3.6		4.6	5.6					9.5	9.0	$11,408	$938	$10,470
Pine Bluff High School	Public	10-12	711 West 11th	Pine Bluff	71601	Jefferson County	Pine Bluff School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 543-4300	688	49	14.1	100.0%	7 (1.0%)	659 (95.8%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.9%)	7.5	281^st of 291 public high schools	3.4%		10.5	294^th of 305 public high schools	3.6%	13				8.6	8.6				10.9	10.9								1.5	1.5					4.2	4.2	$17,203	$2,017	$15,186
Southeast Ark College Careet Center	Public	9-12	912 West 6th Avenue	Pine Bluff	71601	Jefferson County	Jefferson Area Career Center	No	No	No	No	(870) 534-6129	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
White Hall High School	Public	9-12	700 Bulldog Drive	White Hall	71602	Jefferson County	White Hall School District	No	No	No	No	(870) 247-3255	954	103	9.2	57.5%	538 (56.4%)	308 (32.3%)	42 (4.4%)	32 (3.4%)	3 (0.3%)	10 (1.0%)	21 (2.2%)	33	214^th of 291 public high schools	26.5%		36.6	200^th of 305 public high schools	34.4%	14			23.0	30.6	26.8			26.4	34.1	30.2					7.0	6.9	14.3	1.9	5.0				59.6	10.9	21.6	$10,176	$493	$9,683
Woodlawn High School	Public	7-12	6760 Hwy 63	Rison	71665	Cleveland County	Woodlawn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 357-8171	261	24	10.8	52.1%	240 (92.0%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.2%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	46.1	157^th of 291 public high schools	46.0%		57.6	115^th of 305 public high schools	62.3%	42	19.1	19.4	20.0	38.8	25.2	23.4	27.8	22.9	42.8	30.0	27.6	36.4	30.4	28.6	10.0	17.6	6.7	9.1	8.3	34.0	30.6	32.5		30.6	30.0	$12,648	$363	$12,285
Rison High School	Public	7-12	700 Main Street	Rison	71665	Cleveland County	Cleveland County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 325-6241	314	33	9.4	63.4%	216 (68.8%)	74 (23.6%)	7 (2.2%)	11 (3.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	62.7	82^nd of 291 public high schools	71.8%		73.1	51^st of 305 public high schools	83.3%	31	44.0	23.2	24.5	38.0	32.2	46.0	26.7	26.0	40.0	34.5	42.0	27.1	34.7		22.0	27.5		23.4	23.0	46.0	37.5	41.5		51.0	51.0	$13,448	$1,270	$12,178

Frequently Asked Questions about Watson Chapel High School

What schools feed into Watson Chapel High School?

Watson Chapel High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Coleman Elementary School
Elementary : Edgewood Elementary School
Middle : Watson Chapel Junior High School

How many students attend Watson Chapel High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 593 students attended Watson Chapel High School.

Is Watson Chapel High School a good school?

Watson Chapel High School ranks in the bottom 4.5% of Arkansas high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Watson Chapel High School?

Students at Watson Chapel High School are 90% African American, 6% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What district is Watson Chapel High School in?

Watson Chapel School District

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Schools in Pine Bluff, AR

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.