Two Rivers School District

The Two Rivers School District in Arkansas serves 707 students across two schools: Two Rivers High School (grades 5-12) and Two Rivers Elementary School (grades PK-4), with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, placing the district in the 19th percentile statewide.

Two Rivers Elementary School stands out as a bright spot, showing consistent year-over-year academic growth. Its 4th grade Science proficiency rate of 48.7% is the highest single-grade score in the entire district and the only one exceeding the state average. The Elementary school also benefits from higher spending per student ($17,633) compared to the High School ($13,547), and its proficiency rates in English Language Arts (28.4%), Math (29.7%), and Science (37.8%) all improved from the previous year. In contrast, Two Rivers High School faces significant challenges, particularly a dramatic "middle school cliff" where 5th grade Math proficiency (46.7%) collapses to just 11.1% by 8th grade. The 7th grade cohort is in crisis, with the lowest proficiency rates across all subjects—20.9% in ELA, 27.1% in Reading, 31.2% in Math, and 23% in Science—all well below state averages. Despite these struggles, the High School has improved its state ranking from the 22nd to the 35th percentile and earned a 2-star rating.

Key metrics reveal a paradox: the High School has an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 7.9:1, yet academic results remain poor, suggesting issues with instruction or curriculum rather than staffing. The district's graduation rate (88.5%) lags behind the state average (90.1%), while the dropout rate (0.9%) is relatively low. Science is a relative strength district-wide, with Geometry proficiency at the High School (28.2%) actually exceeding the state average (26.4%). However, overall district proficiency in ELA (30.8%), Math (31.1%), and Science (31.3%) remains significantly below state averages, indicating that high spending per student ($13,547-$17,633) is not translating into academic success, pointing to a need for strategic resource reallocation.