Summary:
Zip code 71857, serving the Prescott, Arkansas area, is home to a single middle school, Prescott Junior High School, which serves grades 5 through 8 with a total enrollment of 242 students.
Prescott Junior High School is currently facing significant academic challenges. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school ranked in the 5th percentile statewide (311 out of 327 schools), a sharp decline from the 21st percentile the previous year. Proficiency rates across all subjects are roughly half or less than half of the state average, with only 14.7% of students proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 39.4% statewide) and 16.9% in Science (compared to 44.0% statewide). The school has also experienced a troubling year-over-year decline in every subject area, with the steepest drop in Science (-4.7 percentage points). A particularly concerning trend is the "8th grade cliff," where 8th graders show the lowest proficiency rates in the school, including just 6.3% in ELA and 9.4% in Science, suggesting students are losing academic ground as they progress through middle school.
Despite these struggles, the school operates with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.1:1 and per-student spending of $11,018, which is a moderate investment. However, 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty environment that often correlates with additional educational challenges. A slight bright spot is Mathematics, where 24.6% of students are proficient—the school's strongest subject—and 7th grade Math (31.2%) represents the highest single-grade proficiency score. The Prescott School District is ranked 230 out of 251 districts in Arkansas, placing it in the 8th percentile, which underscores the systemic nature of the academic difficulties facing this community.
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