St. Paul High School

St. Paul High School is a small, rural school in Huntsville, Arkansas, serving 120 students in grades 7 through 12 as part of the Huntsville School District.

This school stands out for its personalized learning environment, with a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 7.6 to 1 and high per-student spending of $17,255. It shows notable strengths in specific areas: 9th graders significantly outperform the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Reading, and 7th graders achieve strong science scores. However, the school faces a critical challenge in mathematics, where overall proficiency is low, and 8th-grade math proficiency was at 0% in the most recent year. While the graduation rate has fluctuated, the school's state ranking has shown a positive upward trend, moving from the 26th percentile in 2019 to the 40th percentile in 2026. In comparison, Huntsville High School has declined from the 61st to the 24th percentile over the same period, and Elkins High School in the higher-performing Elkins School District achieves much higher overall proficiency rates.

For parents, St. Paul offers a tight-knit community where teachers can provide individual attention, and the school has demonstrated an ability to excel in certain subjects despite serving a high-needs population. The key takeaway is that while the school has bright spots in 9th-grade English and 7th-grade science, families should be aware of the significant struggles in mathematics and the volatility in graduation rates. The school's improving state ranking suggests it is on a positive trajectory, but the math gap is a critical area that requires attention.