Summary:
The Bauxite School District in Bauxite, Arkansas, serves 1,717 students across three public schools: Pine Haven Elementary School, Bauxite Middle School, and Bauxite High School. The district ranks 130th out of 251 in Arkansas, placing it in the 48th percentile with a 2-star rating, indicating slightly below-average performance overall.
Bauxite Middle School is the clear standout, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking 69th out of 327 middle schools (79th percentile). It outperforms both district and state averages in nearly every subject, with 57.6% proficiency in math and 60.6% in science, compared to state averages of 44.1% and 44.0%, respectively. In contrast, Bauxite High School shows a troubling downward trend, dropping from the 66th to the 34th percentile over three years. Its math scores are critically low, with only 14.4% proficient in Algebra and 21.8% in Geometry—roughly half the state averages. Pine Haven Elementary School remains a consistent but below-average performer with a 2-star rating, notably struggling in 4th-grade English and reading, where proficiency rates (26.1% and 25.5%) lag far behind state averages (41.4% and 40.9%).
A key paradox is the inverse relationship between spending and performance: Bauxite High School has the highest per-student spending ($10,607) and smallest class sizes (9.9:1) yet is the lowest-performing, while Bauxite Middle School has the lowest spending ($8,892) and largest classes (18.6:1) yet excels. Additionally, the high school boasts a strong 94.4% graduation rate but fails to prepare students for college or careers, as evidenced by its abysmal math proficiency. This suggests a critical disconnect between middle and high school math instruction, creating a "middle school peak" that does not carry forward.
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