Best Public Schools in Crossett, AR

The Crossett School District in Crossett, Arkansas, serves 1,620 students across three public schools—Crossett Elementary School (PK-4), Crossett Middle School (5-8), and Crossett High School (9-12)—and is ranked 185th out of 251 districts in Arkansas, placing it in the 26th percentile with a 1-star rating.

Crossett High School stands out as the district's strongest performer, showing remarkable momentum. Its state ranking leaped from the 14th percentile to the 39th percentile (2-star) in a single year, and it boasts a 90.7% graduation rate, slightly above the state average. Notably, it is the only school in the district to exceed state proficiency in any subject, with 27.5% of students proficient in Geometry versus 26.4% statewide. Crossett Elementary School serves as the academic foundation, posting the highest district-wide proficiency rates in all core subjects for 2025-2026, including 40% in Mathematics and 33.3% in English Language Arts. It also demonstrated the most dramatic year-over-year improvement, with English Language Arts jumping 14.3 points and Mathematics rising 12.1 points. In contrast, Crossett Middle School struggles significantly, particularly with a severe "7th-grade slump" where proficiency rates lag 20-30 percentage points below state averages in every subject.

Key metrics reveal a district serving a predominantly low-income population, with free or reduced lunch rates ranging from 52.52% at the high school to 68.38% at the elementary school. Spending per student varies, with the elementary school receiving the most ($12,996) and the middle school the least ($11,515), yet the middle school's performance is disproportionately low, suggesting ineffective resource allocation. While all three schools improved in 2025-2026, they still trail state averages in nearly every subject. A paradox emerges at the high school, where Geometry proficiency exceeds the state average but Algebra proficiency (23.9%) falls far below (36.9% state), possibly indicating tracking of stronger students into Geometry. Overall, the district is improving from a low baseline, with the high school leading the way and the elementary school building a strong foundation, but the middle school requires urgent intervention.