Sylvan Hills Junior High School

Sylvan Hills Junior High School in Sherwood, AR, serves 721 students in grades 8 and 9 and is part of the Pulaski County Special School District, which is ranked in the 37th percentile among Arkansas districts.

This school presents a unique profile: it excels in advanced coursework but struggles with core subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, an extraordinary 85.7% of students were proficient in Geometry, far surpassing the state average of 18%. Similarly, 9th-grade Biology proficiency reached 61.4% in 2025-2026, nearly matching the state average. However, only 21% of students were proficient in standard Mathematics, well below the state average of 44.1%. This suggests the school is highly effective at preparing a select group for advanced science and math, while the majority need more support in foundational skills. On a positive note, the school is showing steady improvement in core subjects, with English Language Arts proficiency rising from 23.9% to 32.3% over the past two years.

Compared to nearby schools, the performance gap is notable. Cabot Freshman Academy, just 15 miles away, serves a similar demographic but achieves nearly double the proficiency in English Language Arts (48.3%) and Algebra (51.1%). Despite spending $13,310 per student—significantly more than Cabot’s $10,494—Sylvan Hills’ core results lag behind. This raises questions about resource allocation, as the high spending does not translate to strong overall performance. For parents, this school offers exceptional opportunities for students ready for advanced coursework, but families should also consider the need for extra support in math and literacy for the broader student body.