Best High Schools in Zip Code 71730

Zip code 71730 in El Dorado, Arkansas, is home to two high schools—El Dorado High School and Parkers Chapel High School—serving grades 9-12 in a small city setting with a combined enrollment of nearly 1,600 students.

These two schools offer very different educational experiences. El Dorado High School is a large school (1,235 students) with a standout strength in Algebra, where 47.2% of students are proficient—well above the state average of 36.9%. However, it trails state averages in English, reading, geometry, and biology. In contrast, Parkers Chapel High School is a much smaller school (356 students) that consistently outperforms both El Dorado and state averages in most subjects, including a 51.1% proficiency in math versus the state's 44.1%. Parkers Chapel also boasts a very low student-teacher ratio of 5.6:1 (compared to El Dorado's 9.2:1) and achieves these results while spending $2,919 less per student ($11,297 vs. $14,216). The Parkers Chapel School District earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the 84th percentile statewide, while the El Dorado School District earns 3 stars and ranks in the 54th percentile.

A key takeaway is the "small school advantage" at Parkers Chapel, where personalized attention appears to drive strong academic outcomes across the board. Meanwhile, El Dorado's high Algebra scores suggest a targeted strength, but its overall performance lags despite higher spending. Both schools show a pattern where advanced 9th graders taking geometry or biology score near 100% proficiency, while 10th graders in standard courses struggle—highlighting a significant achievement gap between tracked students. For parents, Parkers Chapel offers a more consistently high-performing, efficient environment, while El Dorado provides a larger, more diverse setting with a notable math program.