Summary:
The Stuttgart School District in Arkansas operates two middle schools serving 444 students in grades 5 through 8: Meekins Middle School (grades 5-6) and Stuttgart Junior High School (grades 7-8). The district overall ranks in the 33rd percentile statewide with a 2-star rating, indicating performance below the state average.
Stuttgart Junior High School is the standout for positive momentum, having jumped from the 38th to the 55th percentile over the last three years—a 17-point gain that moved it from a 2-star to a 3-star rating. It also achieved a remarkable 100% proficiency rate in Algebra, though this likely reflects a small, high-achieving cohort rather than the general student body. In contrast, Meekins Middle School faces significant socioeconomic challenges with a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, and its math proficiency (24.7%) lags far behind the state average (44.1%). The district allocates more resources to Meekins, with higher per-student spending ($12,580 vs. $11,505) and a lower student-teacher ratio (11.5:1 vs. 13.9:1), yet its test scores remain the lowest in the district.
Both schools improved year-over-year in nearly every subject from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with science proficiency at Stuttgart Junior High jumping from 28.1% to 42.2% and at Meekins from 23.6% to 30.5%. Mathematics remains the biggest weakness district-wide, though older students at both schools consistently outperform younger ones in core subjects, suggesting academic growth as students progress. The Algebra anomaly at Stuttgart Junior High highlights the importance of looking beyond overall averages—the school's 8th-grade math score (46.2%) provides a more accurate picture of general performance than the blended "All Grades" score.
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