Polk County Virtual Academy

Polk County Virtual Academy is a small, alternative public charter virtual school serving grades K-12 in Mena, Arkansas, with only 8 students enrolled. As part of the Mena School District, which is ranked 124 out of 252 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating, Polk County Virtual Academy is focused on providing a virtual learning environment.

The school's academic performance is a concern, with significantly lower proficiency rates compared to the Mena School District and the state of Arkansas in ATLAS/Geometry and ATLAS/Biology assessments. For example, the school had 0% proficiency in ATLAS/Geometry for 10th grade and all grades, while the Mena School District and Arkansas had 19.5% and 10.9%, and 20.2% and 18%, respectively. Additionally, the school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $10,306, which is higher than the state average, but the low test scores suggest that this investment may not be translating into improved academic outcomes for students.

Other notable findings include a decline in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 61.29% in 2020-2021 to 35% in 2021-2022 and an unknown percentage in 2022-2023, indicating a potential shift in the socioeconomic demographics of the student population. The school has also experienced significant changes in its student-teacher ratio, from 3 students per teacher in 2020-2021 to 0.4 students per teacher in 2022-2023, suggesting instability in staffing and enrollment that could impact the consistency and quality of the educational experience for students.