Summary:
The Dumas School District in Dumas, Arkansas, serves 818 students across three schools—Reed Elementary School (grades K-5), Dumas Middle School (grades 6-8), and Dumas High School (grades 9-12)—in a community where every student faces significant economic challenges, as 100% are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Among the three schools, Dumas High School stands out for its strong graduation rate of 93.9%, well above the state average, and it leads the district in reading proficiency at 19.5%. However, Dumas Middle School is a notable bright spot in mathematics: while its overall math proficiency is just 6.7%, an impressive 50% of students taking Algebra are proficient, far exceeding the state average of 36.9%. Reed Elementary School has the highest per-student spending at $19,505, but test scores show a troubling decline as students move from 3rd to 5th grade—for example, math proficiency drops from 25% to just 1.8%.
All three schools rank in the bottom 7% of their school types statewide, with Dumas Middle School at the 1st percentile and Reed Elementary at the 2nd percentile. Despite high per-student spending averaging over $18,000, test scores remain low, suggesting resources may be directed toward support services rather than academic instruction. The district’s high graduation rate at Dumas High School contrasts with low proficiency on state exams, indicating a focus on keeping students in school without necessarily achieving grade-level mastery. The Algebra success at the middle school shows targeted programs can work, but systemic improvement likely requires a broader community approach to address the challenges of poverty.
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