Bauxite School District

The Bauxite School District in Arkansas is a small, unified district serving 1,717 students across three schools: Pine Haven Elementary School (PK-5), Bauxite Middle School (6-8), and Bauxite High School (9-12).

Bauxite Middle School is the clear standout, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 79th percentile statewide. Its proficiency rates in Math (57.6%), Science (60.6%), and Algebra (73.5%) far exceed state averages, making it a bright spot in the district. In contrast, Pine Haven Elementary School is a major concern, holding a 2-star rating with reading proficiency rates (25.5% in 4th grade, 29.3% in 5th grade) well below state averages. Bauxite High School shows a troubling downward trend, dropping from a 3-star to a 2-star rating over three years, despite a strong 94.4% graduation rate and very low 0.1% dropout rate. The most alarming data point is high school math, where only 14.4% of students are proficient in Algebra and 21.8% in Geometry—roughly half the state average.

A key takeaway is the inverse relationship between spending and performance. Bauxite High School has the highest per-student spending ($10,607) and lowest student-teacher ratio (9.9:1), yet it performs the worst academically. Meanwhile, Bauxite Middle School has the lowest spending ($8,892) and highest ratio (18.6:1) but achieves the best results. This suggests resource allocation and instructional quality, not just class size, are critical. The district also faces a "high school cliff," where students excel in middle school but struggle upon entering high school, indicating a potential curriculum disconnect. Overall, the district ranks 130th out of 251 in Arkansas (48th percentile, 2-star), with elementary reading deficits and high school math failures requiring immediate attention.