Cutter Morning Star School District

The Cutter Morning Star School District in Hot Springs, Arkansas, serves 688 students across two schools: Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School (PK-6) and Cutter-Morning Star High School (7-12), with a high level of economic disadvantage as over 66% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The district presents a clear contrast between its two schools. Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School is the academic bright spot, with its 4th-grade cohort exceeding state averages in English Language Arts (51.9% vs. 41.4%), Reading (46.3% vs. 40.9%), Mathematics (51.9% vs. 47%), and Science (51.8% vs. 44.4%). However, a dramatic "5th grade slump" is a critical warning sign, as proficiency plummets far below state averages in Math (16.3% vs. 45%) and Science (23.3% vs. 43.8%). In contrast, Cutter-Morning Star High School faces significant challenges, especially in advanced math and science, with only 13.1% proficient in Geometry and 24.3% in Biology. The high school's Algebra performance is a major bottleneck: while 8th graders taking the course achieve 54.6% proficiency, 9th graders drop to just 10.3%.

Despite low absolute scores, both schools show strong year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026. The high school posted double-digit gains in English (+11.2%), Math (+11.2%), and Science (+12.7%), while the elementary school improved in English (+6.6%) and Math (+9.0%). The district spends significantly more per student ($14,451 elementary, $15,067 high school) than the state average, yet overall outcomes remain below average, earning a 2-star rating and ranking 150th out of 251 districts. The high school's graduation rate (90.3%) is on par with the state (90.1%), and its state ranking has improved from the 24th percentile to the 32nd percentile, suggesting recent interventions may be taking effect.