Summary:
In zip code 71655 (Monticello, AR), there are two public middle schools serving grades 6-8: Drew Central Middle School and Monticello Middle School, both of which face significant academic challenges compared to state averages.
Drew Central Middle School stands out for its exceptional performance in advanced math, with 93.3% of 8th graders proficient in Algebra—far exceeding the state average of 73.9% and dramatically outperforming Monticello Middle School's 57.1%. However, this success is an anomaly, as Drew Central's overall proficiency in English Language Arts (22.3%), math (36.9%), and science (34.4%) all fall well below state averages. The school serves a student body where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it has a slightly higher student-teacher ratio of 15.4:1. In contrast, Monticello Middle School invests more per student ($12,715 vs. $11,633) and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio of 13:1, yet its overall state ranking (242nd out of 327) is nearly identical to Drew Central's (247th). Monticello outperforms Drew Central in English Language Arts (27.6% vs. 22.3%) but lags in math (32.3% vs. 36.9%).
Both schools rank in the bottom quarter of Arkansas middle schools, consistently scoring below state averages in core subjects. Encouragingly, both showed year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026. The stark difference in socioeconomic status—100% free/reduced lunch at Drew Central Middle School versus 62.08% at Monticello Middle School—is a critical factor in understanding their academic outcomes. The Drew Central School District's Algebra scores are pulled up by Drew Central Middle School's strong performance, while the Monticello School District's scores are pulled down by Monticello Middle School's lower results, highlighting how a single school can skew district-wide statistics.
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