Summary:
The Mount Ida School District is a small, rural district in Arkansas serving 420 students across two schools: Bobby Barrett Elementary School (grades K-6) and Mount Ida High School (grades 7-12), with a significant portion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The district presents a clear tale of two schools. Bobby Barrett Elementary School is the academic standout, consistently outperforming state averages in Mathematics (53.4% vs. 44.1%) and Science (50.0% vs. 44.0%). A notable highlight is the 6th-grade math proficiency rate of 74.1%, which is 29 points above the state average. In contrast, Mount Ida High School struggles academically, with English Language Arts proficiency at just 23.9% and Reading at 26.5%, both well below state averages. The high school does boast an exceptional student-teacher ratio of 4.9:1 and a graduation rate of 90.2%, matching the state average, but its academic scores lag significantly.
A critical finding is the sharp performance drop during the transition to 7th grade, where only 11.4% of students are proficient in ELA and 17.1% in Reading. This suggests a "middle school cliff" that needs immediate attention. Furthermore, despite spending $17,099 per student—over $3,000 more than the elementary school—the high school's outcomes are lower, creating a paradox of high resources and low results. The district overall holds a 2-star rating, placing it in the 44th percentile of Arkansas districts, with the elementary school recently improving to a 3-star rating while the high school remains a key area for improvement.
Thank you for your feedback!