Summary:
The city of Hackett, Arkansas, is served by the Hackett School District, which includes two public schools—Hackett Elementary School (Pre-K through 6th grade) and Hackett High School (7th through 12th grade)—serving a student population where 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating very high economic need.
Hackett High School stands out as the stronger performer in the district, particularly in advanced math. In the 2025-2026 school year, 38.9% of its students were proficient in Geometry, which is 12.5 percentage points above the state average of 26.4%. The high school also boasts a graduation rate of 92.1%, above the state average of 90.1%, and a very low dropout rate of 0.9%. In contrast, Hackett Elementary School shows a concerning "5th grade cliff," where proficiency in English Language Arts drops from 42.5% in 4th grade to just 12.7% in 5th grade, and math proficiency falls from near state averages to only 20% in 5th grade. Overall, both schools perform below state averages in core subjects, but the high school’s small class sizes (a student-teacher ratio of 6.2:1) and higher per-student spending ($13,307 vs. $11,695 at the elementary school) correlate with its relative success.
Key takeaways for parents include the stark contrast in math performance between the two schools—the elementary school struggles while the high school excels in advanced math—and the critical need to investigate the academic drop-off at the elementary level. The district’s high economic need is a major factor, yet the high school’s strong graduation rate and Geometry proficiency show pockets of success that could be replicated. Resource allocation also differs significantly, with the high school receiving more funding per student and maintaining smaller class sizes, which may contribute to its better outcomes.
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