Paragould School District

The Paragould School District in Arkansas serves 7 schools—4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school—all of which have 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, highlighting a district-wide challenge of economic disadvantage.

Among the elementary schools, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School stands out as the academic leader, ranking in the top 35% of Arkansas elementary schools with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (51.6%) and Reading (50.4%) well above state averages. Oak Grove Elementary School is another strong performer, showing remarkable improvement from the 34th to the 60th percentile and excelling in Science (51.3% proficient vs. 44% statewide). In contrast, Baldwin Elementary School is the lowest-performing elementary school, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (31.4%) and Reading (36.7%) significantly below district and state averages. The middle schools, Paragould Junior High and Oak Grove Middle School, show a dip in performance compared to top elementary schools, suggesting a potential "middle school slump" in transitioning students. Paragould High School has achieved a dramatic turnaround, improving from a 1-star rating (26th percentile) in 2023-2024 to a 3-star rating (53rd percentile) in 2025-2026, with a graduation rate of 90.5% slightly above the state average.

Key takeaways include that high poverty does not preclude high performance, as Woodrow Wilson and Oak Grove Elementary achieve above state averages despite economic challenges. Spending per student varies widely, from $9,804 at Oak Grove Middle School to $15,934 at Paragould Primary School, but is not correlated with performance—Baldwin Elementary spends more than Woodrow Wilson yet performs worse. Algebra is a district-wide weakness, with Paragould High School's proficiency at 24.6% far below the state average of 36.9%, while Science is a relative strength. The district ranks 124th out of 251 in Arkansas, earning a 3-star rating.