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Alma Middle School

Q: Is Alma Middle School a good school?

Alma Middle School ranks 71 st of 327 Arkansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

71^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 327 Arkansas Middle Schools

Better than 78% of Arkansas middle schools

Summary

Alma Middle School in Alma, AR, serves 722 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the high-performing Alma School District, which ranks in the top 12% of districts statewide. This school has earned a 4-star rating and ranks 71st out of 327 middle schools in Arkansas, reflecting a remarkable turnaround from a low point in 2016-2017. With a low student-to-teacher ratio of 11.5:1 and a moderate percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (48%), Alma Middle School consistently outperforms state averages in every subject, including English Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, and Science.

The most standout feature of Alma Middle School is its exceptional Algebra program. In the 2025-2026 school year, 91% of its students taking the ATLAS Algebra exam were proficient, dramatically higher than the state average of 36.9% and surpassing nearby schools like Northridge Middle School (80.2%) in Van Buren. This consistent high performance—with 100% proficiency in 2024-2025—suggests a highly effective math program that prepares many 8th graders for advanced coursework. Compared to its closest peer, Northridge Middle School, which serves a similar-sized population with similar economic demographics, Alma outperforms in Mathematics (53.3% vs. 49.6%), Science (53.1% vs. 46%), and Algebra, despite Northridge having a higher student-to-teacher ratio.

Alma Middle School also stands out for its cost-effectiveness, spending $11,022 per student—significantly less than Fort Smith schools like Ramsey Middle School ($17,549) and William O. Darby Middle School ($14,326)—while achieving top-tier results. This efficiency, combined with a sustained upward trend in rankings over nearly a decade, points to effective leadership and resource allocation. While 8th graders excel, especially in Math (57.2%) and Science (60.5%), 7th-grade English Language Arts (37.8%) is a relative weak point, suggesting a potential area for targeted improvement. Overall, Alma Middle School offers a uniformly high-quality education that rivals the best options in the region, including L. A. Chaffin Middle School in Fort Smith.

722

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,022

Per pupil spending ?

48.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

706 Hwy. 64 East
Alma, AR 72921

(479) 632-2168

District: Alma School District

Students who attend Alma Middle School usually attend:

High:

Alma High School

Feeder schools for Alma Middle School:

Elementary:	Alma Intermediate School
	Alma Primary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.4%

Two or more races:

8.0%

Hispanic:

5.3%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare Alma Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 47th percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arkansas average (50% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Arkansas middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg48%

Arkansas avg41%

71^st of 327

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

30^th of 251Alma 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	73.2	71 of 327	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	74.1	59 of 324	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	69.1	78 of 335	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	65.7	105 of 330	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	157 of 318	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.9	107 of 330	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.5	83 of 319	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.4	109 of 318	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.3	186 of 315	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	48.0	166 of 312	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.1	122 of 275	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.4	133 of 280	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	51.4	152 of 278	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	58.2	128 of 265	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.7	146 of 264	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	57.5	123 of 254	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.3	93 of 240	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.0	81 of 223	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.3	104 of 225	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.5	104 of 206	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	49.7	116 of 208	44.2%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra91%+54 vs state

Mathematics53%+9 vs state

Science53%+9 vs state

Reading46%+6 vs state

English Language Arts44%+5 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, May 21, 2019

While I know there are some very exceptional teachers in this school district I can't help but to feel this school is failing thier students not so much in the education but the staff is as far as the bullying that is continuously being allowed and nothing being done to help the child with the complaint I have 5 children in the Alma School district right now 4 that are in the middle school and 1 in intermediate and I have 1 more going to be starting kindergarten in the fall and in all reality when one of the children comes for help they are the ones that tend to be in trouble for either complaining to much or fighting back after nothing has been done to help them even after one of my daughters got beat up on the play ground and nothing got solved and then there are a few staff members that are completely out of line on being a coach that disaplined one of the student for not dressing out after her items were constantly being stolen and the same coach informing the same child that they did not have time for them and that she was not good enough so is this why the bullying continues to happen because the children are seeing the kids being bullied by the staff as well as being told they are not good enough so where does this cycle end and the bullying come to an end Close Quote

Schools Near Alma Middle 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 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 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alma Middle School	Public	6-8	706 Hwy. 64 East	Alma	72921	Crawford County	Alma School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 632-2168	722	63	11.5	48.1%	595 (82.4%)	11 (1.5%)	38 (5.3%)	3 (0.4%)	17 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (8.0%)	73.2	71^st of 327 public middle schools	78.3%		74.1	59^th of 324 public middle schools	81.8%	12		44.8	37.8	48.9	44.0		45.1	40.5	52.4	46.1		46.4	58.4	57.2	53.3	91.0	91.0		49.0	50.0	60.5	53.1	$11,022	$1,294	$9,727
Northridge Middle School	Public	6-8	120 Northridge Drive	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3126	713	44	16.0	51.3%	501 (70.3%)	13 (1.8%)	115 (16.1%)	18 (2.5%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (8.1%)	70.1	84^th of 327 public middle schools	74.3%		78.3	44^th of 324 public middle schools	86.4%	40		45.3	49.2	46.1	46.8		45.3	49.6	44.3	46.4		58.4	51.1	29.0	49.6	79.2	80.2		42.7	52.5	42.8	46.0	$9,820	$811	$9,008
Butterfield Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	310 North 11 St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-6838	557	40	14.0	80.6%	309 (55.5%)	16 (2.9%)	174 (31.2%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.9%)	31.5	240^th of 327 public middle schools	26.6%		31.3	236^th of 324 public middle schools	27.2%	4		35.1	26.5	26.9	29.3		35.1	26.9	29.1	30.2		44.0	27.6	16.9	30.4	45.1	46.1		41.7	29.0	32.4	34.1	$11,730	$858	$10,872
Mountainburg Middle School Brain Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	129 Hwy 71 SW	Mountainburg	72946	Crawford County	Mountainburg School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(479) 369-4506	132	11	11.7	100.0%	126 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.4	234^th of 327 public middle schools	28.4%		41.7	204^th of 324 public middle schools	37.0%	30		17.9	42.4	25.6	27.9		23.1	39.4	30.3	30.4		28.2	48.4	25.6	33.3				18.0	42.4	33.3	30.7	$11,682	$870	$10,812
Cedarville Middle School	Public	5-8	9614 Pirates Point	Cedarville	72932	Crawford County	Cedarville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-5847	207	18	11.2	98.6%	162 (78.3%)	3 (1.4%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (13.0%)	48.9	178^th of 327 public middle schools	45.6%		50.3	157^th of 324 public middle schools	51.5%	21	37.5	30.4	48.0	20.4	34.2	45.4	33.9	44.0	24.5	37.4	51.6	46.4	46.0	37.2	46.0			45.3	43.7	58.0	26.6	43.6	$13,652	$1,947	$11,704
Lavaca Middle School	Public	5-8	603 S Division St	Lavaca	72941	Sebastian County	Lavaca School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 377-1234	234	19	12.5	53.8%	195 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.6%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.5%)	74	65^th of 327 public middle schools	80.1%		54.1	141^st of 324 public middle schools	56.5%	76	51.9	47.7	54.7	42.0	49.1	48.2	50.8	58.5	40.0	49.5	46.3	41.5	58.5	40.6	47.0	77.8	77.8	53.7	47.7	62.3	50.0	53.1	$11,048	$701	$10,346
Dora Kimmons Middle School	Public	6-8	2201 N 50th St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-2451	753	52	14.5	93.5%	88 (11.7%)	112 (14.9%)	466 (61.9%)	40 (5.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.7%)	22.4	269^th of 327 public middle schools	17.7%		20.4	268^th of 324 public middle schools	17.3%	1		23.5	23.1	26.3	24.3		24.7	24.6	29.7	26.3		21.9	35.0	26.0	27.4	70.8	70.8		21.9	29.5	28.8	26.6	$13,279	$1,751	$11,529
L. A. Chaffin Middle School	Public	6-8	3025 Massard Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-2226	753	54	13.9	55.4%	415 (55.1%)	40 (5.3%)	126 (16.7%)	54 (7.2%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	112 (14.9%)	82.6	33^rd of 327 public middle schools	89.9%		84.3	32^nd of 324 public middle schools	90.1%	1		47.9	55.3	50.7	51.3		48.1	56.0	49.8	51.3		54.2	66.8	46.6	57.5	92.1	92.1		46.8	64.2	58.7	56.6	$14,020	$1,421	$12,599
William O. Darby Middle School	Public	6-8	616 N 14th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-4159	711	57	12.4	82.8%	212 (29.8%)	63 (8.9%)	353 (49.6%)	9 (1.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (9.7%)	38.8	213^th of 327 public middle schools	34.9%		38.3	217^th of 324 public middle schools	33.0%	4		35.2	33.2	33.3	33.9		37.5	35.4	34.8	35.9		37.6	35.7	17.5	31.9	68.8	68.8		31.7	29.4	37.0	32.7	$14,326	$1,352	$12,974
Pleasant View Campus School	Public	5-8	5750 Hornet Ln	Ozark	72949	Franklin County	Mulberry Pleasant View Bi County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 997-8469	127	12	10.7	100.0%	119 (93.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	28.4	253^rd of 327 public middle schools	22.6%		24.7	257^th of 324 public middle schools	20.7%	4	18.8	32.0	34.3	20.8	26.7	18.8	36.0	28.6	20.8	25.8	18.2	36.0	34.3	16.7	26.5			21.9	28.0	34.3	20.9	26.8	$14,147	$1,734	$12,413

Frequently Asked Questions about Alma Middle School

Is Alma Middle School a good school?

Alma Middle School ranks 71^st of 327 Arkansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Alma Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 722 students attended Alma Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Alma Middle School attend?

Students who attend Alma Middle School usually go on to attend Alma High School

What district is Alma Middle School in?

Alma School District

What is the racial makeup of Alma Middle School?

Students at Alma Middle School are 82% White, 8% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 2% American Indian, 2% African American.

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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.