Summary:
The Glen Rose School District in Malvern, Arkansas, is a small, unified district serving 975 students across two schools: Glen Rose Elementary School (Pre-K through 6th grade) and Glen Rose High School (7th through 12th grade). The district holds a 3-star rating and ranks 103rd out of 251 districts in Arkansas, with about 53% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
Glen Rose High School is the standout school, having surged from a 2-star ranking (180th out of 305 schools) in 2023-2024 to a 4-star ranking (57th out of 293 schools) in 2025-2026—a leap of 123 places. This improvement is driven by exceptional performance in advanced subjects, with a 50.7% proficiency rate in Algebra and 48.6% in Biology, both well above state averages. The 8th-grade cohort is particularly strong, achieving an 87.5% proficiency rate in Algebra. The high school also benefits from a very low student-teacher ratio of 6.1:1, allowing for personalized instruction. In contrast, Glen Rose Elementary School is a stable performer with a 3-star rating, though its student-teacher ratio of 18.6:1 is higher. The elementary school excels in Science, outperforming the state average, and its 6th-grade class shows strong proficiency in Reading, Math, and Science, suggesting they are well-prepared for the transition to high school.
A key finding is the "feeder school" effect: the strong 6th-grade cohort at the elementary school is likely to boost the high school's already rising academic profile when they move up. However, a paradox exists at the high school: despite its top-25% state ranking and strong test scores, its graduation rate of 86.9% falls below the state average of 90.1%, with a 2.3% dropout rate. This suggests the school excels in test preparation but may need to focus on ensuring all students complete their degrees. Additionally, the "All Grades" English Language Arts score of 36.9% masks the 10th-grade score of 45.8%, indicating that lower-performing grades are dragging down the overall average—a key area for targeted intervention.
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