Ozark Middle School

Ozark Middle School in Altus, AR, serves 266 students in grades 6 and 7 and is part of the Ozark School District, which has a 2-star rating. The school has a moderate level of economic disadvantage, with about 55% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it spends slightly above the state average per student.

Ozark Middle School’s standout strength is mathematics, where 48.9% of students are proficient—4.8 points above the state average. This is notably higher than nearby schools like Clarksville Middle School (37.4%) and Pleasant View Campus School (26.5%), and slightly above Paris Middle School (47.4%). However, the school struggles significantly in science, where only 36.7% of students are proficient—7.3 points below the state average and the lowest among these four schools. This creates a sharp contrast between its math success and science challenges. Additionally, the school has seen a dramatic decline in its state ranking, dropping from the 83rd percentile (4 stars) in 2021-2022 to the 47th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026, a 36-point drop that outpaces any nearby school.

An interesting pattern emerges by grade level: 7th graders outperform 6th graders in both math and science, with a particularly large 17.8-point gap in science proficiency. This suggests a potential issue with the 6th-grade science curriculum or instruction. Notably, Paris Middle School, despite having 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, outperforms Ozark in English, reading, and science, and holds a higher overall state ranking (69th percentile). This shows that socioeconomic factors are not destiny and offers a model for improvement. Ozark Middle School is at a critical juncture: it can leverage its math strength while urgently addressing weaknesses in science and English to reverse its downward trend.