Bergman School District

The Bergman School District in Arkansas is a small, unified district serving 1,102 students across three schools: Bergman Elementary School (PK-4), Bergman Middle School (5-8), and Bergman High School (9-12). The district is highly ranked at 17th out of 251 in Arkansas, earning a 5-star rating, and consistently outperforms state averages in all core subjects.

Bergman Elementary School is the academic standout, particularly in math, where its "All Grades" proficiency rate of 70.9% far exceeds the district (57.7%) and state (44.1%) averages. This suggests a highly effective math curriculum at the foundational level. In contrast, Bergman High School presents a paradox: it has the highest per-student spending ($13,295) and an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 3.8:1, yet its overall test scores are the lowest in the district. For example, its ELA proficiency (44.2%) is below the district average (49.2%), though its low dropout rate of 0.3% indicates strong student retention. Bergman Middle School shows a notable spike in 8th-grade math proficiency at 67.1%, nearly double the state average, compared to lower scores in earlier grades.

Key takeaways include a potential "leaky pipeline" in math: while elementary math excels, high school Geometry proficiency is only 26.5%, tied with the state average. Resource allocation is heavily weighted toward the high school, which spends $2,645 more per student than the elementary school and has a ratio 4.7 times smaller. The district's free/reduced lunch rates decrease with age (Elementary: 65.61%, Middle: 59.21%, High: 46.8%), indicating a moderate level of economic disadvantage. Overall, the district offers strong elementary performance and individualized high school support, but families should note the mixed results in high school academics despite significant resources.