Summary:
The De Queen School District is served by a single high school, Dequeen High School, which enrolls 550 students in grades 10 through 12. This school stands out for its dramatic academic volatility and a clear split in performance between subjects, all while serving a student body where over 75% qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Dequeen High School has shown a remarkable "V-shaped" recovery in its state ranking, dropping from 59th to 188th before rebounding to 91st out of over 290 schools. Its graduation rate of 94.3% significantly exceeds the state average of 90.1%, and the dropout rate is a very low 1.2%. The school also boasts an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 9.4:1, which likely supports these strong retention numbers and allows for individualized attention.
Academically, the school excels in literacy, outperforming the state in English Language Arts (43.5% vs. 39.4%) and Reading (46% vs. 40.4%) in the 2025-2026 school year. However, it struggles significantly in STEM, with Geometry proficiency at just 11.8% compared to the state's 26.4%, a gap that appears to be a systemic issue across the 10th grade. Test scores also saw a massive year-over-year improvement, with Biology proficiency jumping from 15% to 40.7%, suggesting recent curriculum or intervention changes are having a positive impact. Despite high poverty levels, the school's strong graduation rate and literacy scores point to effective support systems, particularly in the humanities.
Thank you for your feedback!