Marion High School

Marion High School in Marion, AR, serves 927 students in grades 10 through 12 and is part of the Marion School District, which has a 1-star rating and ranks 220 out of 251 districts in Arkansas.

Marion High School stands out for its strong graduation rate, which has consistently hovered around 92-94% over the last five years. In the 2024-2025 school year, its rate of 92.8% significantly exceeded the state average of 90.1% and was much higher than nearby The Academies Of West Memphis Charter School (89.3%) and Earle High School (74.1%). The school also has a low dropout rate of 1.6%, compared to West Memphis Charter’s 4.1%. Academically, Marion outperforms its local peers in most subjects, such as English Language Arts (33.5% proficient vs. 31.8% at West Memphis and 9.1% at Earle) and Biology (33.7% vs. 21.8% and 7.4%). However, a critical weakness is Geometry, where 0% of students scored proficient in the 2025-2026 school year, compared to the state average of 26.4%. This paradox of high graduation rates but low test scores suggests the school excels at student retention but may need to improve academic instruction, particularly in math and science.

Despite spending less per student ($13,363) than both Earle ($17,680) and West Memphis ($14,931), Marion achieves better academic and graduation outcomes, indicating efficient resource use. The school’s state ranking has been volatile, peaking at the 52nd percentile in 2015-2016 before falling to the 18th percentile in 2023-2024, but it recently rebounded to the 32nd percentile in 2025-2026. This uptick, along with improved test scores (e.g., ELA rising from 19.1% to 33.5%), suggests recent interventions may be taking effect. For parents, Marion High School offers a supportive environment that keeps students on track to graduate, but the Geometry results and below-state-average performance in core subjects are important factors to consider when evaluating academic preparation.