Summary:
The three public schools in the Trumann School District serve 1,410 students from kindergarten through 12th grade in a community where every single student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, highlighting a district with very high economic need that ranks in the bottom 11th percentile statewide.
Trumann High School stands out as the district's strongest performer, showing a promising upward trend by jumping from the 16th percentile to the 38th percentile in just one year, with a graduation rate of 87.3% and notably higher proficiency in English Language Arts (27.4%) and Reading (32.5%) compared to the other schools. In contrast, Trumann Middle School is the lowest-performing school, ranking in the 8th percentile and declining over three years, with 7th graders experiencing a particularly steep drop in math and science proficiency (just 16.6% vs. state averages around 44%). Trumann Elementary School performs in the middle, with 27.9% proficiency in ELA, creating a "U-shaped" curve where the youngest and oldest students outperform those in the middle grades.
Despite spending a notable $12,964 per student—with the high school receiving the most at $14,163—academic outcomes remain well below state averages across all subjects, with district proficiency rates roughly half of state levels in math (17.5% vs. 44.1%) and science (24.3% vs. 44.0%). An interesting "Algebra paradox" emerges at the high school, where 8th graders score 40% proficient in Algebra but 9th graders taking the same subject drop to just 11.9%, suggesting students are being pushed into advanced coursework without adequate preparation. The district's year-over-year improvement is encouraging but fragile, as the middle school's continued decline shows that progress is not uniform across all grade levels.
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