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Acorn Elementary School

Q: Is Acorn Elementary School a good school?

Acorn Elementary School ranks 233 rd of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

233^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Acorn Elementary School in Mena, AR, serves 321 students from Kindergarten through 6th grade within the Ouachita River School District, and it stands out as a school that achieves strong academic results despite serving a high-poverty community where nearly 79% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Acorn Elementary is a high-efficiency school that gets impressive results with less funding than its neighbors. It spends $11,329 per student, which is significantly less than Waldron Elementary School ($14,018) and Louise Durham Elementary School ($13,490), yet it outperforms Waldron in every subject area. For example, 44.1% of Acorn students are proficient in math compared to just 30% at Waldron. The school also has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.8:1, which is lower than nearby Holly Harshman Elementary School (19.3:1) and Waldron (17.3:1), allowing teachers to provide more individualized attention. Acorn even outperforms Holly Harshman in reading (44.1% vs. 42.9%) and math (44.1% vs. 39.9%), despite Holly Harshman having a lower poverty rate and being part of the higher-ranked Mena School District.

Acorn has notable strengths and areas for growth. Its 4th-grade cohort is exceptional, with 59.5% proficient in math (well above the state average of 47%) and 52.4% in reading. The school also excels in 3rd-grade science, with 56.4% proficient—11 points above the state average. However, 6th grade is a consistent weakness, with scores falling below state averages in ELA, reading, and science. The school's state ranking has also been volatile, dropping from the 84th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 53rd percentile in 2025-2026, which may reflect changes in the student cohort or testing. Overall, Acorn is a strong, efficient school that delivers solid results for its community.

321

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,329

Per pupil spending ?

79.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

143 Polk Road 96
Mena, AR 71953

(479) 394-4833

District: Ouachita River School District

Students who attend Acorn Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Acorn High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.4%

Two or more races:

4.0%

Hispanic:

3.4%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Arkansas median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg44%

Arkansas avg42%

233^rd of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

61^st of 251Ouachita River 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	54.7	233 of 491	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	81.0	77 of 495	84.4%	★★★★☆
2024	62.0	193 of 497	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.5	164 of 492	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.0	160 of 487	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.6	183 of 496	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.1	174 of 488	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.3	120 of 480	75.0%	★★★★☆
2017	64.2	155 of 485	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.9	117 of 494	76.3%	★★★★☆
2015	50.2	214 of 466	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.2	188 of 471	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.6	239 of 476	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.7	165 of 468	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	77.3	78 of 471	83.4%	★★★★☆
2010	65.6	152 of 457	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	81.5	52 of 445	88.3%	★★★★☆
2008	77.5	67 of 439	84.7%	★★★★☆
2007	75.3	88 of 440	80.0%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Science46%~ state avg

Reading44%+4 vs state

Mathematics44%~ state avg

English Language Arts39%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Acorn Elementary 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 Science (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 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Acorn Elementary School	Public	K-6	143 Polk Road 96	Mena	71953	Polk County	Ouachita River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 394-4833	321	22	14.8	79.1%	287 (89.4%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	3 (0.9%)	13 (4.0%)	54.7	233^rd of 491 public elementary schools	52.5%		81	77^th of 495 public elementary schools	84.4%	156	37.1	50.0	38.2	33.3	39.3	43.5	52.4	43.6	37.7	44.1	35.5	59.5	40.0	46.7	44.1	56.4	42.8	38.2	42.2	45.5	$11,329	$1,461	$9,868
Holly Harshman Elementary School	Public	3-5	1000 Geyer Drive	Mena	71953	Polk County	Mena School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 394-3151	438	23	19.3	65.5%	374 (85.4%)	2 (0.5%)	35 (8.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.8%)	59.6	199^th of 491 public elementary schools	59.5%		63.9	170^th of 495 public elementary schools	65.7%	29	45.9	50.7	38.1		44.7	47.7	47.7	34.5		42.9	46.8	46.9	28.0		39.9	56.9	63.1	45.3		54.8	$10,630	$1,753	$8,877
Louise Durham Elementary School	Public	K-2	106 Reine Street N	Mena	71953	Polk County	Mena School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 394-2943	357	24	15.0	68.1%	295 (82.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.5%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.6%)								(n/a)																					$13,490	$2,116	$11,374
Waldron Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1895 Rice St.	Waldron	72958	Scott County	Waldron School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 637-2454	648	37	17.3	73.1%	508 (78.4%)	3 (0.5%)	76 (11.7%)	15 (2.3%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.8%)	34.5	344^th of 491 public elementary schools	29.9%		31.1	364^th of 495 public elementary schools	26.5%	20	36.1	36.1			36.2	29.8	34.9			32.2	30.8	29.1			30.0	40.5	41.9			41.1	$14,018	$1,758	$12,260
Cossatot River Primary School	Public	K-2	122 E. Adair Street	Vandervoort	71972	Polk County	Cossatot River School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(870) 387-6923	170	12	13.8	98.2%	119 (70.0%)	2 (1.2%)	29 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	17 (10.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Acorn Elementary School

Is Acorn Elementary School a good school?

Acorn Elementary School ranks 233^rd of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Acorn Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 321 students attended Acorn Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Acorn Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Acorn Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Acorn High School

What district is Acorn Elementary School in?

Ouachita River School District

What is the racial makeup of Acorn Elementary School?

Students at Acorn Elementary School are 89% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

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Schools in Mena, AR

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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.