Summary:
The city of Bearden, Arkansas, is served by the Bearden School District, which includes two public schools—Bearden Elementary School (grades K-6) and Bearden High School (grades 7-12)—with a total enrollment of 446 students and a district ranking in the 16th percentile statewide.
Within this small district, the two schools present very different academic pictures. Bearden Elementary School is the standout performer, showing strong improvement over the past two years. It jumped from a 1-star rating to a 2-star rating and now ranks in the 36th percentile, outperforming the district average in every subject. Its 4th-grade class even matches or exceeds state averages in English and reading. In contrast, Bearden High School remains a 1-star school with critical academic weaknesses, including 0% proficiency in Geometry for two consecutive years and very low scores in Algebra and Biology. This is despite having an exceptionally low student-to-teacher ratio of 4.8:1, which suggests that small class sizes alone are not overcoming the deep challenges the high school faces.
Nearly the entire student body at both schools (over 98%) is economically disadvantaged, qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Despite this, Bearden Elementary has managed to significantly raise its academic performance, while Bearden High School has not. The high school does boast a strong graduation rate of 92.8% and a very low dropout rate of 0.8%, but this success in keeping students in school is not matched by readiness for college or careers, especially in math and science. The district spends above the national average per student, yet the high school's stagnation highlights a troubling gap between resources and results.
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