Summary:
The Manila School District in Arkansas serves 1,077 students across two schools, Manila Elementary School (grades PK-6) and Manila High School (grades 7-12), and is ranked in the 76th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating.
These two schools present a fascinating contrast in academic strengths. Manila Elementary School excels as a consistent, high-performing foundation, particularly in Science where its 51.9% proficiency rate outpaces the state average of 44%. It also provides strong English Language Arts (ELA) instruction at 48.1% proficiency, well above the state's 39.4%. However, its math proficiency of 37.3% lags behind the state. In stark contrast, Manila High School is a powerhouse in mathematics, with an "All Grades" proficiency of 59.2%—a full 15 points above the state average—driven by exceptional results in advanced courses like 8th-grade Algebra (100% proficiency) and 9th-grade Geometry (91.7%). Yet, the high school struggles in ELA, with a proficiency of just 39.6%, barely matching the state average. This creates a "Math vs. ELA" divide between the two schools, suggesting a potential shift in curriculum focus as students transition from elementary to high school.
One of the most compelling stories is the high school's remarkable turnaround. In just one year, its ELA proficiency jumped from 25.1% to 39.6%, and Reading soared from 25.5% to 43.9%, driving a three-year improvement in its state ranking from the 32nd to the 54th percentile. The high school also benefits from a lower student-teacher ratio (11.1:1) and slightly higher per-student spending ($11,993) compared to the elementary school (17:1 and $11,488). While the elementary school provides a strong foundation in ELA and Science, its relative weakness in math means students entering 7th grade may be less prepared, making the high school's math achievements even more impressive. The district's graduation rate of 88.8% is slightly below the state average of 90.1%.
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