Summary:
This analysis examines three high schools in the 71901 zip code of Hot Springs, Arkansas, serving grades 9-12: Lakeside High School, Fountain Lake Charter High School, and Cutter-Morning Star High School.
Lakeside High School is the clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the top 15% of Arkansas high schools. It has the largest enrollment (1,107 students) and achieves the highest test scores, with 48.7% proficiency in ELA and 49.3% in Biology, well above state averages. It also has the lowest dropout rate (0.4%) and the lowest percentage of students on free/reduced lunch (36.95%). In contrast, Cutter-Morning Star High School faces the most challenges, with the lowest state ranking (198th out of 293), the highest dropout rate (3.0%), and the highest free/reduced lunch rate (66.16%). Its test scores lag behind, with only 25% proficiency in ELA and 34.7% in Biology. Fountain Lake Charter High School falls in the middle, with moderate test scores and a 46.74% free/reduced lunch rate.
A key finding is that spending does not equal performance. Fountain Lake Charter High School spends the most per student ($17,985) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.1), yet its academic results are mediocre. Meanwhile, Lakeside High School spends the least ($11,626) but achieves the best outcomes. All three schools struggle with Algebra proficiency, with rates ranging from just 10.9% at Cutter-Morning Star to 19.4% at Lakeside, indicating a systemic math challenge. Despite its low scores, Cutter-Morning Star High School shows a positive trend, improving its state ranking from 233rd to 198th over three years, and its graduation rate (90.3%) is slightly above the state average. Lakeside High School also has a notable outlier in 9th-grade Geometry, where 82.5% of students are proficient, compared to just 25.3% in 10th grade, likely due to advanced tracking.
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