Summary
Emerson High School is a small, rural school in Emerson, Arkansas, serving 136 students in grades 7-12, and it has recently achieved its highest state ranking in a decade, placing 12th out of 293 high schools in Arkansas (96th percentile, 5 stars). This remarkable turnaround from a low point in 2020-2021 is driven by an exceptionally low student-to-teacher ratio of 5.8:1 and steadily increasing per-pupil spending, which reached $12,953 in the 2023-2024 school year. The school excels in advanced subjects, with proficiency rates in Biology (68.2%) and Geometry (44.5%) significantly outpacing state averages, and it shows particular strength in 8th Grade Mathematics (72.7% proficient) and 9th Grade Reading (63.6% proficient).
Emerson's success is especially notable given that about half of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a higher rate than its district peer, Taylor High School (32.6%). Yet, Emerson's lower student-teacher ratio and higher spending per pupil appear to be powerful equalizers, allowing it to catch up to and slightly surpass Taylor in the most recent ranking. In contrast, Magnolia High School, located just 12.5 miles away, serves a much larger, more economically disadvantaged population (98.6% free/reduced lunch) and holds a 1-star rating, with Emerson outperforming it in virtually every academic metric, such as a 68.2% Biology proficiency rate versus Magnolia's 29.3%.
While Emerson's graduation rate has shown a strong upward trend, reaching 85.7% in 2023-2024, the dropout rate spiked to 3.6% in the 2024-2025 school year, a point to monitor given the school's small size. The Emerson Taylor Bradley School District stands out as a top performer in Arkansas, with both high schools achieving elite results through different approaches—Emerson through intensive resource allocation and Taylor through consistent excellence. For parents, Emerson offers a highly personalized learning environment with focused strengths in math and science, though literacy skills show some variability across grade levels, such as 9th Grade English Language Arts at 36.4% proficiency.
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