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Palestine-Wheatley Senior High

Q: Is Palestine-Wheatley Senior High a good school?

Palestine-Wheatley Senior High ranks 149 th of 293 Arkansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

149^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 293 Arkansas High Schools

Better than 49% of Arkansas high schools

Summary

Palestine-Wheatley Senior High in Palestine, AR, is a small, rural school serving 378 students in grades 7 through 12, where over 99% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a very high-needs community.

The school’s standout strength is its exceptional graduation rate of 94.2% for the 2024-2025 school year, which surpasses the state average of 90.1% and outperforms all nearby schools, including Wynne High School (91.7%), Lee High School (86.5%), and Forrest City High School (80.5%). This is paired with the lowest dropout rate among its peers at just 2.9%. While its standardized test scores are below the state average, they are generally the highest or among the highest in the immediate area, outperforming Brinkley High School, Lee, and Forrest City in most subjects. The school achieves these results with a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 4.9:1, which allows for personalized attention, and does so with significantly less funding per student ($11,355) compared to nearby schools like Wynne ($21,915) and Lee ($18,265).

This combination of high graduation rates and competitive academic performance, despite high poverty and limited resources, points to a school that is exceptionally effective at supporting students through to completion. The Palestine Wheatley School District currently holds a 2-star rating, and the school’s state ranking has fluctuated over the years, peaking at the 68th percentile in 2023-2024. A consistent area for improvement is math, where proficiency rates in Algebra and Geometry are very low, a challenge shared by all nearby schools. Overall, Palestine-Wheatley Senior High demonstrates resilience and efficiency, making it a strong choice for families seeking a supportive environment focused on student success.

378

Students ?

4.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,355

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7950 Hwy. 70 West
Palestine, AR 72372

(870) 581-2425

District: Palestine Wheatley School District

Feeder schools for Palestine-Wheatley Senior High:

Elementary:

Palestine-Wheatley Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.9%

African American:

12.2%

Hispanic:

2.6%

See top rated Arkansas high schools

Compare Palestine-Wheatley Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Arkansas average (90%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 32 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 5 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (30% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 15 pts below the Arkansas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg32%

Arkansas avg41%

Middle school

262^nd of 327

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 36% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

149^th of 293

Arkansas public high schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

174^th of 251Palestine Wheatley School District among Arkansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	25.7	262 of 327	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.7	198 of 324	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.3	108 of 335	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.7	130 of 330	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.4	173 of 318	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.8	129 of 330	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.2	230 of 319	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.3	261 of 318	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	52.7	147 of 315	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	41.7	199 of 312	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	23.3	224 of 275	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	149 of 293	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.8	142 of 291	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.8	98 of 305	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.8	144 of 295	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.1	173 of 282	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.8	144 of 290	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.1	183 of 282	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	172 of 263	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.8	145 of 264	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	26.6	222 of 269	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.9	241 of 267	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	61.4	77 of 268	71.3%	★★★★☆
2013	48.3	141 of 271	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.5	169 of 266	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.2	181 of 266	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.7	196 of 262	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	16.4	231 of 261	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	5.3	243 of 256	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	12.9	233 of 258	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	20.7	192 of 232	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts33%-6 vs state

Reading32%-8 vs state

Biology32%-11 vs state

Science31%-13 vs state

Mathematics29%-15 vs state

Algebra25%-12 vs state

Geometry13%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palestine-Wheatley Senior High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)					ATLAS Reading (2026)					ATLAS Mathematics (2026)			ATLAS Algebra (2026)			ATLAS Geometry (2026)			ATLAS Science (2026)			ATLAS Biology (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 9th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 10th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Palestine-Wheatley Senior High	Public	7-12	7950 Hwy. 70 West	Palestine	72372	St. Francis County	Palestine Wheatley School District	No	No	No	No	(870) 581-2425	378	77	4.9	99.2%	317 (83.9%)	46 (12.2%)	10 (2.6%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.4	149^th of 293 public high schools	49.1%		48.8	142^nd of 291 public high schools	51.2%	7	24.3	28.8	39.7	39.8	33.0	24.3	26.3	37.9	39.7	32.0	34.8	22.4	29.0	31.8	22.4	24.7		13.1	13.1	30.3	31.3	30.9		31.5	32.0	$11,355	$242	$11,113
Forrest City High School	Public	9-12	467 Victoria St	Forrest City	72335	St. Francis County	Forrest City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 633-1464	563	81	6.9	100.0%	13 (2.3%)	536 (95.2%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	19.4	254^th of 293 public high schools	13.3%		17.9	259^th of 291 public high schools	11.0%	5			27.9	20.2	23.9			29.6	21.8	25.6					6.5	6.5	38.1	1.0	7.2				68.2	15.5	24.6	$14,732	$2,028	$12,704
East Arkansas Secondary Career Center	Public	9-12	1700 New Castle Rd	Forrest City	72335	St. Francis County	East Arkansas Career Center	No	No	No	No	(870) 633-4480	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lee High School	Public	7-12	523 Forest Avenue	Marianna	72360	Lee County	Lee County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 295-7130	281	51	5.5	100.0%	21 (7.5%)	246 (87.5%)	11 (3.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	19.6	253^rd of 293 public high schools	13.7%		20.2	252^nd of 291 public high schools	13.4%	1	20.4	27.3	19.2	27.6	22.8	24.4	24.2	21.3	37.9	26.0	20.4	30.3	24.4		9.4	9.4	0.0	4.8	2.6	20.0	12.5	17.1	20.0	16.7	15.8	$18,265	$3,888	$14,377
Brinkley High School	Public	7-12	200 Tiger Drive	Brinkley	72021	Monroe County	Brinkley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 734-5005	170	52	3.2	100.0%	30 (17.6%)	130 (76.5%)	2 (1.2%)	6 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	14.4	268^th of 293 public high schools	8.5%		12.2	274^th of 291 public high schools	5.8%	6	5.0	17.7	25.0	14.3	15.6	5.0	35.3	33.3	17.2	21.8	10.0	12.6	11.1		5.3	10.0		0.0	2.6	10.0	23.5	16.2		12.0	12.0	$16,455	$1,927	$14,528
Wynne High School	Public	9-12	1300 N. Falls Blvd.	Wynne	72396	Cross County	Wynne School District	No	No	No	No	(870) 238-5070	723	107	6.7	51.2%	478 (66.1%)	200 (27.7%)	30 (4.1%)	9 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	44.3	172^nd of 293 public high schools	41.3%		38.9	184^th of 291 public high schools	36.8%	12			40.2	33.6	37.1			42.9	33.5	38.4					19.0	18.7	38.4	4.6	10.0				80.0	26.5	35.4	$21,915	$941	$20,974

Frequently Asked Questions about Palestine-Wheatley Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Palestine-Wheatley Senior High?

Students at Palestine-Wheatley Senior High are 84% White, 12% African American, 3% Hispanic.

How many students attend Palestine-Wheatley Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 378 students attended Palestine-Wheatley Senior High.

Is Palestine-Wheatley Senior High a good school?

Palestine-Wheatley Senior High ranks 149^th of 293 Arkansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Palestine-Wheatley Senior High?

Palestine-Wheatley Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Palestine-Wheatley Elementary School

What district is Palestine-Wheatley Senior High in?

Palestine Wheatley School District

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 13, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 dropout ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.