Summary:
The three public schools in zip code 71857 (Prescott, Arkansas) serve 901 students across the Prescott School District, a high-need area where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Prescott Elementary School stands out as the district's relative bright spot, earning a 2-star rating while the other two schools received only 1-star ratings. Its science proficiency rate of 32.6% was the highest in the district, though performance has been volatile. In contrast, Prescott Junior High School faces severe challenges, ranking in the 5th percentile statewide with a 0-star rating. Only 6.3% of its 8th graders are proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 37.2%. Prescott High School offers a paradox: despite low test scores, it boasts a remarkable 6.2:1 student-teacher ratio and spends $13,545 per student, yet it achieves a strong 92.6% graduation rate and a very low 1.3% dropout rate—both above state averages.
The most striking finding is the dramatic "middle school slide" between elementary and junior high. Fourth graders at the elementary school show 31.7% proficiency in English Language Arts, but by 8th grade at the junior high, that drops to just 6.3%. This suggests a critical transition problem in curriculum or instruction. Additionally, despite high per-student spending across all schools, academic outcomes remain among the lowest in Arkansas, indicating that challenges stem from deep socioeconomic factors rather than funding. The district ranks 230 out of 251 in the state, placing it in the bottom 10%.
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