Best Public Schools in Jasper, AR

The city of Jasper, Arkansas, is served by the Jasper School District, which includes two public schools: Jasper Elementary School (Pre-K through 6th grade) and Jasper High School (7th through 12th grade). The district is ranked in the 61st percentile statewide, earning a 3-star rating.

Jasper Elementary School is the standout performer in the district, showing strong upward momentum. It recently jumped to the 77th percentile in state rankings, earning a 4-star rating, and significantly outperforms state averages in English Language Arts and Science. This is particularly impressive given that nearly 99% of its students are economically disadvantaged. In contrast, Jasper High School has seen a sharp decline, dropping from the 83rd to the 62nd percentile and losing its 4-star rating. While the high school excels in core subjects like 8th-grade Math (63.4% proficient vs. 36.2% statewide) and boasts a very high graduation rate of 94.4%, it struggles significantly in advanced coursework, with Geometry proficiency at just 8.6% and Biology at 33.4%.

A key difference between the two schools is their student-teacher ratio. Jasper High School has an exceptionally low ratio of 3.9:1, suggesting very small class sizes that likely contribute to its strong core subject performance and low dropout rate. Jasper Elementary School has a more typical ratio of 14.2:1. Per-student spending is high and consistent across the district, at over $13,000 per student. The data also shows significant year-over-year volatility in test scores, likely due to small class sizes, making it important to look at multi-year trends rather than single-year results.