Two Rivers High School

Two Rivers High School in Ola, AR, is a small, rural school serving 413 students in grades 5 through 12, where every student is eligible for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a community with very high economic need. This school is part of the Two Rivers School District, which ranks in the bottom 20% of Arkansas districts, but the school itself is showing a promising upward trend, climbing from the 10th percentile in 2016-2017 to the 35th percentile in 2025-2026. A standout feature is its low student-to-teacher ratio of 7.9:1, which is better than Russellville High School (10.6:1) and similar to Dardanelle High School (7.7:1), suggesting a focus on smaller class sizes.

Two Rivers has made remarkable strides in keeping students on track. Its graduation rate jumped from a low of 71.1% in 2021-2022 to 88.5% in 2024-2025, nearly matching the state average of 90.1%, while the dropout rate plummeted to just 0.9%—lower than Russellville High School (1.4%) and Western Yell County High School (1.4%). Academically, the school outperforms its most similar peer, Western Yell County High School, in all-grades English Language Arts (31.6% vs. 24.6%) and has a rare bright spot in Geometry, where its 28.2% proficiency rate in 2025-2026 actually exceeded the state average of 26.4%. However, performance dips sharply in middle school, with 8th-grade Math at just 11.1% compared to the state's 36.2%, indicating a need for targeted support during those years.

Spending per student at Two Rivers is $13,547, which is in the middle range compared to nearby districts—less than Russellville School District ($14,609) and Danville School District ($15,732), but more than Dardanelle School District ($12,184). Given the extreme poverty levels, this funding may not fully offset challenges, but the school's steady improvement in state rankings and graduation rates suggests effective interventions are taking hold. For parents, Two Rivers offers a dedicated, small-school environment with a clear focus on student success, though the middle school years remain a critical area for growth.