Creative Action Team School

Creative Action Team School in Hope, AR, is a small alternative school serving 69 students in grades 2 through 12, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it operates within the Hope School District.

This school serves a high-needs population of students who have struggled in traditional settings, and its data shows extreme volatility. For example, the graduation rate swung from a low of 30.7% in 2020-2021 to a high of 90.0% in 2024-2025, while the dropout rate dropped from 37.5% to 4.5% over the same period. However, academic proficiency remains a major challenge: in the most recent testing year, the school scored 0% proficient in English, Math, Algebra, Science, and Biology, with only 2% proficiency in Reading. This is dramatically lower than the district average of 20-31% proficiency and the state average of 37-44% proficiency. The school does offer a very low student-teacher ratio of 7.1:1, which is much lower than typical district or state averages (13:1 to 18:1), suggesting a focus on individualized attention.

Despite these high needs, per-student spending is surprisingly low at $4,748, well below national averages, which raises concerns about resources. The school's primary success may be in keeping at-risk students in the system long enough to graduate, rather than providing a competitive academic education. There are no other schools within 20 miles for direct comparison, but the data highlights a school facing significant challenges with limited funding, where progress is fragile and not yet systemic.