Star City Middle School

Star City Middle School in Star City, AR, serves 322 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Star City School District, which has a 1-star rating and ranks 189th out of 251 districts in Arkansas.

This school shows a remarkable pattern of improvement as students progress, with 8th graders significantly outperforming 6th and 7th graders in every subject. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, 51.3% of 8th graders were proficient in mathematics compared to just 23% of 6th graders, and 46% were proficient in science versus 22% of 6th graders. The school's most exceptional feature is its Algebra program, where 84.6% of students taking the Algebra ATLAS exam were proficient—more than double the state average of 36.9%. This stands in stark contrast to Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast Middle School Pine Bluff, which does not appear to offer Algebra testing. Star City also has a lower student-to-teacher ratio (12.6:1) compared to Friendship Aspire Academy (17.8:1), allowing for more individualized attention. While the school has historically been low-performing, it is on an upward trajectory, climbing from the 11th percentile in 2015-2016 to the 29th percentile in 2025-2026, while Friendship Aspire Academy has seen its ranking decline.

The school faces the challenge of 100% of students being eligible for free or reduced lunch, yet the strong 8th-grade and Algebra results prove that students are capable of high achievement. The key takeaway for parents is that Star City Middle School has identified a formula for success with its older students, particularly in advanced math. The school's primary opportunity is to replicate the effective strategies used in 8th grade across all grade levels to create consistently strong performance throughout the middle school years.