Jonesboro School District

The Jonesboro School District in Arkansas serves 9 schools, including 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school, all of which have 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a district-wide challenge of high economic disadvantage.

The district's magnet schools show a stark performance divide. The Visual & Performing Arts Magnet is the top performer, earning a 3-star rating and scoring well above district and state averages in all subjects, while the Math & Science Magnet School and Leadership Magnet School are the lowest-performing elementary schools, both earning 0-star ratings with proficiency rates roughly half of the already low district averages. The International Studies Magnet also stands out as a strong performer with a 3-star rating, consistently outperforming district averages. In middle schools, Douglas MacArthur Junior High School excels in advanced courses, with 77.8% proficiency in Geometry compared to 26.4% statewide, even as standard math scores lag. The Academies At Jonesboro High School presents a contradiction: it has very low academic proficiency, including a 2.9% proficiency in Geometry, yet boasts a high graduation rate of 94.2%.

Key metrics reveal a district of extremes. The district ranks 184th out of 251 in Arkansas (27th percentile, 1-star), with spending ranging from $10,868 per student at the top-performing Visual & Performing Arts Magnet to $14,411 at the high school. Notably, the lowest-performing schools have some of the highest spending, suggesting resource allocation is not the primary driver of outcomes. The success of the Visual & Performing Arts and International Studies magnets provides a potential model for improvement, while the struggles of the Math & Science and Leadership magnets highlight areas requiring urgent intervention.