Cedarville Middle School

Cedarville Middle School is a small, rural school in the Cedarville School District serving 207 students in grades 5 through 8, with a student-teacher ratio of 11.2:1 that allows for personalized attention.

The school's standout strength is mathematics, where 46% of students are proficient—above the state average of 44.1% and significantly higher than nearby high-poverty schools like Dora Kimmons Middle School (27.4%) and Butterfield Trail Middle School (30.4%). This math performance is particularly impressive given that over 98% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the highest rate among all nearby schools. In fact, Cedarville's math proficiency is surprisingly close to that of Alma Middle School (53.3%), a high-performing school with a much lower poverty rate (48%). However, the school struggles in English Language Arts and Reading, where scores consistently trail state averages. A notable pattern emerges in grade-level performance: 7th graders outperform the state in all subjects, but 8th graders experience a sharp decline, particularly in ELA (20.4% vs. state 37.2%) and Science (26.6% vs. state 42.9%).

Compared to other schools in the region, Cedarville sits academically in the middle, outperforming high-poverty schools in math and science while trailing them in ELA. The school's per-student spending of $13,652 is higher than Alma's $11,022 but lower than some lower-performing Fort Smith School District schools like Ramsey Middle School ($17,549), suggesting that spending alone doesn't drive outcomes. Cedarville's math program stands out as a genuine success story, demonstrating that a small, rural school can achieve excellence in specific areas despite significant economic challenges.