Summary:
Zip code 71854 in Texarkana, Arkansas, is home to 11 schools serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade, split between the Texarkana School District (9 schools) and the Genoa Central School District (3 schools), creating a stark contrast in academic performance and socioeconomic conditions.
The standout schools are overwhelmingly in the Genoa Central district, which forms a highly effective K-12 pipeline. Genoa Central Elementary School leads with a 5-star rating and 72.6% math proficiency, while Gary E. Cobb Middle School also earns 5 stars with 81% of 4th graders proficient in math. Genoa Central High School boasts a 5-star rating, a 0.3% dropout rate, and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate in the area at 20.93%. In contrast, every school in the Texarkana district has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, and the district ranks in the 20th percentile statewide. However, North Heights Community School is a notable exception within Texarkana, earning a 3-star rating and 69th percentile rank, with 72.1% of 3rd graders proficient in math—far exceeding the district average of 34.8% and the state average of 45.5%.
Key metrics reveal a massive performance gap: Genoa Central district ranks 12th out of 251 districts (95th percentile), while Texarkana ranks 202nd (20th percentile). Spending does not correlate with success, as Texarkana’s Fairview Elementary spends $16,957 per student but ranks in the 26th percentile, while Gary E. Cobb Middle School spends only $10,451 per student and ranks in the 94th percentile. A critical warning sign is Arkansas High School, which dropped from the 43rd to the 20th percentile in recent years, with only 6.2% of students proficient in Algebra compared to the state average of 36.9%. The data strongly suggests that concentrated poverty in the Texarkana district is the primary barrier to achievement, despite higher spending.
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