Summary:
The Mount Ida School District is served by a single high school, Mount Ida High School, which enrolls 202 students in grades 7 through 12 and is located in a rural Arkansas community where nearly 64% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Mount Ida High School stands out for its exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 4.9 to 1 and high per-pupil spending of $17,099, yet its academic results are mixed. The school has shown an upward trajectory in state rankings, jumping from the 62nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 70th percentile in 2024-2025, before settling at the 59th percentile in 2025-2026. Its graduation rate of 90.2% matches the state average, and the dropout rate is remarkably low at just 0.4%. However, overall proficiency in English Language Arts (23.9%) and Algebra (23.8%) lags significantly behind state averages, while the school outperforms the state in Geometry (29.7% vs. 26.4%) and nearly matches in Biology (42.1% vs. 42.7%).
The most notable finding is a dramatic performance gap between grade levels. In the 2025-2026 school year, 10th graders scored 39.5% proficient in ELA (above the state average), while 7th graders scored only 11.4% proficient—a massive 28-point gap. This pattern repeats in Reading and Math, suggesting the school is highly effective at catching students up by 10th grade but struggles with its youngest cohort. Additionally, math proficiency jumped nearly 10 points from 27.4% to 37.1% in just one year, indicating volatility that makes it hard to assess stable performance. For parents, this school offers strong student support and retention, but the 7th-grade curriculum—especially in reading and English—needs immediate attention to ensure all students start strong.
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