Summary:
The Future School Of Fort Smith district consists of a single high school, Future School Of Fort Smith, serving grades 9-12 with 235 students in a setting where 100% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.
This school presents a striking paradox: it invests heavily in its students with a per-student spending of $15,047 and an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 5.5 to 1, yet academic outcomes are significantly below state averages. In the 2025-2026 school year, proficiency rates were 25.4% in English Language Arts (state: 39.4%), 27.1% in Reading (state: 40.4%), and just 8.3% in Geometry (state: 26.4%). Most alarmingly, Algebra proficiency has been 0% for two consecutive years, indicating a critical systemic issue in math instruction. The only bright spot is Biology, where the school's 40.5% proficiency rate closely approaches the state average of 42.7%, and for 10th grade specifically, the school's 40.7% actually exceeds the state's 35.1%.
The most pressing concern is the 11.0% dropout rate, which directly undermines the 86.3% graduation rate (state: 90.1%). This suggests that despite small classes and high spending, the school struggles to retain students through graduation. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20-27th percentile statewide over the last three years, earning a 1-star rating each year. For parents, this data indicates that while the school provides substantial resources and personalized attention, it faces profound challenges in translating that investment into academic achievement and student retention, particularly in foundational math skills.
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