Summary:
The three public schools in Wilson, Arkansas, all part of the Rivercrest School District, serve 1,205 students from elementary through high school in a community where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating very high economic need.
The standout school is Rivercrest Junior High Preparatory Academy, which has achieved a remarkable turnaround, jumping from the 20th percentile to the 66th percentile in state rankings and earning a 3-star rating. It is the only school in the district to outperform state averages in core subjects, with a 45.1% proficiency rate in Mathematics and a 37.4% rate in Reading. Its 8th-grade Algebra program is exceptional, with a 77.8% proficiency rate far exceeding the state average. In contrast, Academies At Rivercrest High School stands out for its extremely low student-teacher ratio of 5.8:1, a strong 91.3% graduation rate, and a very low 0.5% dropout rate, though its overall academic performance is more modest. Rivercrest Elementary School, the largest school, shows pockets of strength, particularly in 4th grade where students outperform the state in every subject, but its overall state ranking has declined from the 54th to the 33rd percentile.
Key findings include a significant spending disparity, with the high school spending $17,266 per student compared to the elementary school's $12,306, partly due to the high school's low student-teacher ratio. The district shows a clear strength in Algebra, but this does not translate to Geometry, where proficiency is less than half the state average. The 4th grade cohort at the elementary school is a powerhouse, but academic growth appears to slow by 7th and 8th grade, suggesting a potential "middle school slump." Despite 100% economic disadvantage, the middle school's 66th percentile ranking and the high school's 91.3% graduation rate demonstrate these schools are overcoming significant barriers to achieve notable results.
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