Paulette Smith Middle School

Paulette Smith Middle School in Fouke, AR, serves 244 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Fouke School District, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 36th percentile among Arkansas districts. The school has a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 10.1:1 and spends slightly below the state average per pupil, with about 66% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

One of the most notable features of Paulette Smith is its strength in mathematics, where 42% of all students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—significantly higher than its English Language Arts (32.8%) and Reading (31.6%) scores. This "math-first" profile sets it apart from nearby Arkansas Middle School in Texarkana, where math proficiency is only 18.1%. The school also shows an interesting pattern in Algebra: while the overall Algebra proficiency rate is low at 25%, this is because only a small group of advanced 8th graders take the exam, and in prior years, those students achieved exceptional rates of 85.1% and 68.2%. However, the school faces challenges in literacy and a downward trend in state rankings, dropping from the 62nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 38th percentile currently.

Compared to the high-performing Genoa Central School District—which includes Albert J. Murphy Junior High School and Gary E. Cobb Middle School—Paulette Smith occupies a middle ground. Genoa Central schools consistently score 15-30 percentage points above state averages and have a much lower free/reduced lunch rate (around 32-38%), highlighting the socioeconomic challenges Paulette Smith faces. On a positive note, the school manages its resources efficiently, spending about $9,850 per student—33% less than Arkansas Middle School—while achieving far better academic results. Science performance has also been a bright spot, with 39.3% proficiency, just 4.7 points below the state average, offering a foundation for future improvement.