Summary:
Zip code 71638 in Dermott, Arkansas, is home to two high schools serving a total of 155 students: Dermott High School and Arkansas Consolidated High School-Dermott, both operating in a community with very high levels of economic disadvantage.
Dermott High School is the area's traditional public school, serving grades 7-12 with 139 students. It has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 5th percentile in state rankings to the 45th percentile over two years. While its reading proficiency (40%) now matches the state average, math (15.3% proficient) and science (26.6% proficient) remain critical weaknesses. The school benefits from a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 4.8:1 and spends nearly $20,000 per student, yet its graduation rate of 80% still trails the state average of 90.1%. In stark contrast, Arkansas Consolidated High School-Dermott is a specialized alternative school with only 16 students, operated by the Division Of Youth Services School System for students involved in the juvenile justice system. It reported 0% reading proficiency and a high dropout rate of 6.2%, reflecting its mission of serving a high-needs population rather than achieving top test scores.
The key takeaway for parents is the dramatic difference in school missions. Dermott High School is a traditional school on an upward trajectory, with strong reading gains but needing significant support in math and science. Its low student-to-teacher ratio and high per-pupil spending indicate substantial resources, though poverty remains a major challenge. Arkansas Consolidated High School-Dermott serves a very different purpose and cannot be fairly compared on academics alone. Both schools are part of the Dermott School District, which oversees the traditional public school, while the alternative school falls under a separate state-run system.
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