Lavaca School District

The Lavaca School District in Arkansas is a small, unified district serving 801 students across three schools: Lavaca Elementary School (PK-4), Lavaca Middle School (5-8), and Lavaca High School (9-12).

Lavaca Middle School is the district's standout, ranking 65th out of 327 middle schools in Arkansas (80th percentile, 4 stars) for the 2025-2026 school year. It consistently outperforms both district and state averages in English Language Arts, Reading, and Science, with a particularly impressive 77.8% proficiency in Algebra—far exceeding the district's 40% and state's 36.9% averages. In contrast, Lavaca High School shows a mixed profile: while its English Language Arts (42.1%) and Biology (45.3%) proficiency rates are above state averages, it struggles significantly in advanced math, with only 14.8% proficiency in Algebra and 15.1% in Geometry. The high school also has an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 3.5, which could indicate a highly personalized environment, though this advantage is not yet reflected in math scores. Lavaca Elementary School is the most consistent performer in ranking (3 stars for two years) but shows a notable "4th-grade slump," with 4th-grade Science proficiency dropping to 28% (from 45.7% in 3rd grade) and Reading falling to 33.4% (from 42.3%).

Key metrics reveal interesting contrasts: the middle school, with the lowest spending per student ($11,048), is the highest-performing, while the high school, with the highest spending ($12,587), faces the greatest academic challenges. The district's free/reduced lunch rates range from 42.86% at the high school to 53.85% at the middle school, indicating moderate economic disadvantage. The high school's graduation rate is 88.0%, below the state average of 90.1%. Overall, the district ranks 95th out of 251 in Arkansas (62nd percentile, 3 stars), with the middle school driving much of its academic strength.