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Forrest City High School

Public Grades 9-12

254^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 293 Arkansas High Schools

Better than 13% of Arkansas high schools

Summary

Forrest City High School in Forrest City, AR, serves 563 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Forrest City School District, which ranks in the bottom 6% of districts statewide. The school faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with 100% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate shared only with Lee High School and far higher than Wynne High School (51.18%). Academic performance is persistently low, with proficiency rates in core subjects well below state averages—for example, only 6.5% of students are proficient in Algebra compared to the state average of 36.9%, and 23.9% in English Language Arts versus 39.4% statewide. The graduation rate has also declined sharply, from 92.5% in 2020-2021 to 80.5% in 2024-2025, now below the state average of 90.1% and the lowest among nearby peers.

Despite these challenges, there are notable bright spots. In 9th Grade Biology, 68.2% of students are proficient, close to the state average of 72.2% and significantly higher than Palestine-Wheatley Senior High (32%) and Lee High School (20%). This suggests a specific area of instructional strength. The school also benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 6.9:1, comparable to Wynne (6.7) and Lee (5.5), yet this advantage has not translated into broader academic gains. Spending per student is $14,732, less than Wynne ($21,915) and Lee ($18,265), but more than Palestine-Wheatley ($11,355), highlighting that funding alone does not drive outcomes.

The most critical issue is the "Algebra crisis," with proficiency nearly six times worse than the state average, severely limiting students' future opportunities in STEM and college readiness. Performance is also inconsistent by grade level—10th graders struggle significantly (e.g., 1% proficient in Geometry) while 9th graders show much higher proficiency (38.1% in Geometry). This inconsistency warrants further investigation. Overall, Forrest City High School reflects deep community challenges, and meaningful improvement will likely require comprehensive, community-wide interventions beyond school-based reforms.

563

Students ?

6.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,732

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

467 Victoria St
Forrest City, AR 72335

(870) 633-1464

District: Forrest City School District

Feeder schools for Forrest City High School:

Elementary:	Central Elementary School
	Stewart Elementary School
Middle:	Forrest City Junior High School
	Lincoln Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.2%

White:

2.3%

Hispanic:

1.4%

See top rated Arkansas high schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2016 → 13th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 7 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (20% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Arkansas average (80% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg19%

Arkansas avg39%

254^th of 293

Arkansas public high schools ?

Bottom 13%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 4% (2016) to bottom 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

237^th of 251Forrest City 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	19.4	254 of 293	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.9	259 of 291	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	283 of 305	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	277 of 295	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.4	269 of 282	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.3	275 of 290	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.7	266 of 282	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.8	247 of 263	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.8	250 of 264	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.2	259 of 269	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	13.6	255 of 267	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	2.9	263 of 268	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.4	266 of 271	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.4	247 of 266	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.0	254 of 266	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	5.8	252 of 262	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	9.6	242 of 261	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	5.3	244 of 256	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	7.9	241 of 258	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	6.6	221 of 232	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Reading26%-15 vs state

Biology25%-18 vs state

English Language Arts24%-16 vs state

Geometry7%-19 vs state

Algebra6%-30 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, August 27, 2019

it a great school Close Quote

Schools Near Forrest City 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 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 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Forrest City High School	Public	9-12	467 Victoria St	Forrest City	72335	St. Francis County	Forrest City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 633-1464	563	81	6.9	100.0%	13 (2.3%)	536 (95.2%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	19.4	254^th of 293 public high schools	13.3%		17.9	259^th of 291 public high schools	11.0%	5			27.9	20.2	23.9			29.6	21.8	25.6					6.5	6.5	38.1	1.0	7.2				68.2	15.5	24.6	$14,732	$2,028	$12,704
East Arkansas Secondary Career Center	Public	9-12	1700 New Castle Rd	Forrest City	72335	St. Francis County	East Arkansas Career Center	No	No	No	No	(870) 633-4480	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Palestine-Wheatley Senior High	Public	7-12	7950 Hwy. 70 West	Palestine	72372	St. Francis County	Palestine Wheatley School District	No	No	No	No	(870) 581-2425	378	77	4.9	99.2%	317 (83.9%)	46 (12.2%)	10 (2.6%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51.4	149^th of 293 public high schools	49.1%		48.8	142^nd of 291 public high schools	51.2%	7	24.3	28.8	39.7	39.8	33.0	24.3	26.3	37.9	39.7	32.0	34.8	22.4	29.0	31.8	22.4	24.7		13.1	13.1	30.3	31.3	30.9		31.5	32.0	$11,355	$242	$11,113
Wynne High School	Public	9-12	1300 N. Falls Blvd.	Wynne	72396	Cross County	Wynne School District	No	No	No	No	(870) 238-5070	723	107	6.7	51.2%	478 (66.1%)	200 (27.7%)	30 (4.1%)	9 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	44.3	172^nd of 293 public high schools	41.3%		38.9	184^th of 291 public high schools	36.8%	12			40.2	33.6	37.1			42.9	33.5	38.4					19.0	18.7	38.4	4.6	10.0				80.0	26.5	35.4	$21,915	$941	$20,974
Lee High School	Public	7-12	523 Forest Avenue	Marianna	72360	Lee County	Lee County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 295-7130	281	51	5.5	100.0%	21 (7.5%)	246 (87.5%)	11 (3.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	19.6	253^rd of 293 public high schools	13.7%		20.2	252^nd of 291 public high schools	13.4%	1	20.4	27.3	19.2	27.6	22.8	24.4	24.2	21.3	37.9	26.0	20.4	30.3	24.4		9.4	9.4	0.0	4.8	2.6	20.0	12.5	17.1	20.0	16.7	15.8	$18,265	$3,888	$14,377

Frequently Asked Questions about Forrest City High School

How many students attend Forrest City High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 563 students attended Forrest City High School.

What district is Forrest City High School in?

Forrest City School District

What is the racial makeup of Forrest City High School?

Students at Forrest City High School are 95% African American, 2% White, 1% Hispanic.

Is Forrest City High School a good school?

Forrest City High School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Arkansas high schools.

What schools feed into Forrest City High School?

Forrest City High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Central Elementary School
Elementary : Stewart Elementary School
Middle : Forrest City Junior High School
Middle : Lincoln Academy

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresNewJul 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.