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Cedar Ridge High School

Q: Is Cedar Ridge High School a good school?

Cedar Ridge High School ranks 164 th of 293 Arkansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

164^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 293 Arkansas High Schools

Better than 44% of Arkansas high schools

Summary

Cedar Ridge High School in Newark, AR, is a small, rural school serving 373 students in grades 6 through 12, and it has shown remarkable resilience by turning around from years of low performance to achieve a stable 2-star rating for the last three consecutive years.

One of the school's standout strengths is its exceptional mathematics program, with 50.3% of students proficient in math—outpacing both the state average (44.1%) and the Cedar Ridge School District average (43.3%). This is a bright spot compared to nearby schools like Tuckerman High School (86.2% math proficiency) and Cave City High Career & Collegiate Preparatory School, which also perform well but serve fewer economically disadvantaged students. Cedar Ridge also boasts an incredibly low student-teacher ratio of 5:1, far lower than Batesville High School Charter (11.7:1) and Southside Charter High School (6.4:1), allowing for more individualized attention. However, the school faces significant challenges: nearly all students (99.2%) are economically disadvantaged, and English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency lags at just 30%, well below the state average of 39.4%.

Despite these hurdles, Cedar Ridge achieves a high graduation rate of 91.9%, exceeding the state average of 90.1%. This suggests the school effectively supports students in completing their education, even if test scores in literacy need improvement. The school invests heavily in its students, spending $16,513 per pupil—more than double what Batesville High School Charter spends ($11,233) and higher than Tuckerman High School ($12,489). For parents, Cedar Ridge offers a dedicated, small-school environment with strong math instruction and a focus on helping students graduate, though it is working to improve reading and writing skills amid high poverty rates.

373

Students ?

5.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,513

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1500 N. Hill Street
Newark, AR 72562

(870) 201-2577

District: Cedar Ridge School District

Feeder schools for Cedar Ridge High School:

Elementary:

Cedar Ridge Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.4%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Arkansas high schools

Compare Cedar Ridge High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 36th percentile in 2016 → 44th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 5 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg37%

Arkansas avg41%

Middle school

152^nd of 327

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

164^th of 293

Arkansas public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 36% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

141^st of 251Cedar Ridge 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	52.6	152 of 327	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.9	83 of 324	74.4%	★★★★☆
2024	41.5	200 of 335	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.0	158 of 330	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.4	218 of 318	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.2	282 of 330	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	263 of 319	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	265 of 318	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.7	254 of 315	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.5	243 of 312	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	44.3	155 of 275	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	41.2	193 of 280	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.6	201 of 278	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.5	220 of 265	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.5	201 of 264	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.6	191 of 254	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.4	171 of 240	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	42.1	156 of 223	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.4	116 of 225	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	164 of 293	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.9	167 of 291	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.8	158 of 305	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.7	250 of 295	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.9	168 of 282	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.3	254 of 290	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.3	210 of 282	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.4	229 of 263	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.5	227 of 264	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	40.0	173 of 269	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.1	178 of 267	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.6	192 of 268	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	23.3	224 of 271	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.2	189 of 266	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.4	180 of 266	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	25.2	219 of 262	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	31.8	199 of 261	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	60.6	65 of 256	74.6%	★★★★☆
2007	58.7	70 of 258	72.9%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics50%+6 vs state

Science44%~ state avg

Biology36%-7 vs state

Reading34%-7 vs state

Algebra32%-4 vs state

English Language Arts30%-9 vs state

Geometry26%~ state avg

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, June 8, 2018

They hired a new superintendent that was unqualified so he had to take classes and have a mentor. His predecessor was a woman with a doctorate but the school board paid the new guy more $30,000 a year more than her because he's a man. He ruined the school. If you look at the school board minutes for the past 3 years, something like 70 employees have left. This year like 12 teachers, including the head football coach, left. That's not normal. Students are unruly and not held accountable for their actions. Since he can't keep good teachers he has a lot of lazy, useless teachers. The principal started a flexible mod schedule and it is a nightmare. If a teacher doesn't show up they don't get a substitute, they just send the kids to the commons area or the library. It has gone downhill so much in the 3 years he took over. Close Quote

Schools Near Cedar Ridge High School

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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 6th Grade	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 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology 11th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cedar Ridge High School	Public	6-12	1500 N. Hill Street	Newark	72562	Independence County	Cedar Ridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 201-2577	373	74	5.0	99.2%	341 (91.4%)	4 (1.1%)	18 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	47.4	164^th of 293 public high schools	44.0%		42.9	167^th of 291 public high schools	42.6%	3	43.4	29.1	20.0	28.9	30.0	30.0	47.1	37.5	21.7	33.3	30.0	33.8	52.8	55.4	43.3	50.3	32.5	32.5		25.0	25.6	51.0	46.4	35.0	43.8	32.5		35.7	$16,513	$1,196	$15,317
Southside Charter High School	Public, Charter	10-12	1920 Batesville Blvd	Southside	72501	Independence County	Southside School District (Independence)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 251-2662	464	72	6.4	44.8%	402 (86.6%)	6 (1.3%)	44 (9.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	72	49^th of 293 public high schools	83.3%		89.6	12^th of 291 public high schools	95.9%	37					40.6	40.6					43.2	43.2								25.0	24.8					49.3		49.2	$11,485	$765	$10,721
Batesville High School Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	1 Pioneer Drive	Batesville	72501	Independence County	Batesville School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 793-6846	986	84	11.7	60.2%	560 (56.8%)	50 (5.1%)	320 (32.5%)	15 (1.5%)	3 (0.3%)	8 (0.8%)	30 (3.0%)	54.6	129^th of 293 public high schools	56.0%		51.4	130^th of 291 public high schools	55.3%	1				37.5	32.8	35.1				42.4	34.9	38.6					27.0	27.0	75.7	15.3	24.4					41.0		41.3	$11,233	$641	$10,592
Uaccb Technical Center	Public	9-12	2005 White Drive	Batesville	72501	Independence County	Uaccb Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(870) 612-2000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
The Academies At Newport High School	Public, Charter	8-12	406 Wilkerson Drive	Newport	72112	Jackson County	Newport School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 523-1311	0	60	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	21.6	248^th of 293 public high schools	15.4%					(n/a)			30.8	21.6	24.2	25.4			29.3	27.0	22.8	26.4			33.8	33.8	2.0	1.9	18.1	10.7	13.0			30.8	30.8	29.3		31.3
Tuckerman High School	Public	8-12	300 N Dowell St	Tuckerman	72473	Jackson County	Jackson County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 349-2657	288	59	4.9	63.9%	252 (87.5%)	13 (4.5%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.2%)	90.5	11^th of 293 public high schools	96.2%		83.2	21^st of 291 public high schools	92.8%	10			78.5	52.9	63.0	65.9			75.4	56.9	59.3	64.7			86.2	86.2	35.3	35.3		34.6	34.6			61.6	61.6	55.8		55.8	$12,489	$377	$12,112
Asu Newport Sec Career Center (Ignite)	Public	9-12	7648 Victory Blvd	Newport	72112	Jackson County	Asu Newport Sec Career Center (Ignite)	No	No	No	No	(870) 512-7825	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Midland High School	Public	7-12	741 Main St	Pleasant Plains	72568	Independence County	Midland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 345-2610	222	46	4.8	100.0%	211 (95.0%)	2 (0.9%)	5 (2.3%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	54.8	128^th of 293 public high schools	56.3%		36.5	196^th of 291 public high schools	32.6%	68		29.2	51.8	45.7	22.8	37.1		33.3	51.8	54.3	34.3	43.8		29.2	52.2	40.4	29.4	36.9		9.4	11.7		29.1	51.8	41.2	39.4		41.1	$13,242	$446	$12,796
Cave City High Career & Collegiate Preparatory School	Public, Charter	9-12	711 N. Main	Cave City	72521	Sharp County	Cave City School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 283-3333	375	64	5.8	79.2%	343 (91.5%)	11 (2.9%)	10 (2.7%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	94.8	6^th of 293 public high schools	98.0%		86.7	18^th of 291 public high schools	93.8%	12				62.9	62.8	62.8				57.3	64.1	60.5					49.5	49.5		43.4	43.4					64.7	25.0	59.3	$15,288	$2,190	$13,098
Hillcrest High School	Public	7-12	146 S. Main Street	Strawberry	72469	Lawrence County	Hillcrest School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 376-5416	179	49	3.6	78.2%	168 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	38.8	197^th of 293 public high schools	32.8%		44.6	162^nd of 291 public high schools	44.3%	35		39.1	38.7	30.8	30.8	34.9		47.8	38.7	30.8	34.6	37.7		60.9	66.7	64.1	24.0	25.9		8.0	11.5		65.2	58.1	61.1	32.0		32.0	$17,001	$2,077	$14,924

Frequently Asked Questions about Cedar Ridge High School

What schools feed into Cedar Ridge High School?

Cedar Ridge High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cedar Ridge Elementary School

How many students attend Cedar Ridge High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 373 students attended Cedar Ridge High School.

What district is Cedar Ridge High School in?

Cedar Ridge School District

What is the racial makeup of Cedar Ridge High School?

Students at Cedar Ridge High School are 91% White, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Cedar Ridge High School a good school?

Cedar Ridge High School ranks 164^th of 293 Arkansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Cedar Ridge High School!

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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.