Summary:
The city of Decatur, Arkansas is home to 3 schools serving grades K-12: Decatur Northside Elementary, Decatur High School, and Decatur Middle School. These schools are part of the Decatur School District and serve a high-poverty student population, with all three schools having 100% free or reduced-price lunch rates.
Among the three schools, Decatur High School stands out as the highest-performing, ranking 192 out of 291 Arkansas high schools for the 2024-2025 school year. It also has the lowest student-teacher ratio of 6.1 and spends the most per student at $13,540 (2018-2019 school year). In contrast, Decatur Northside Elementary performs better than the district and state averages in several test score categories, including 3rd and 4th grade English Language Arts, Reading, and Mathematics, and has a lower student-teacher ratio of 15.4 compared to the district average.
However, the overall academic performance of all three Decatur schools is significantly below the state averages in test scores, suggesting systemic challenges within the district that need to be addressed. The wide range in spending per student, from $9,606 at Decatur Middle School to $13,540 at Decatur High School, also indicates a potential imbalance in resource allocation that may contribute to the schools' low academic outcomes. Addressing these issues and implementing targeted interventions could help improve educational opportunities for students in the Decatur school system.
Thank you for your feedback!