Summary:
Zip code 71953, serving the Mena, Arkansas area, is home to two public high schools—Mena High School and Acorn High School—which together serve 784 students in grades 9 through 12 (with Acorn also including grades 7 and 8).
When comparing the two schools, Acorn High School stands out as the higher-performing institution overall, despite serving a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (64.77% free/reduced lunch) and spending $1,485 less per student than its counterpart. Acorn boasts a 94.3% graduation rate, significantly above the state average of 90.1%, and ranks 60th out of 293 high schools in Arkansas (80th percentile). It excels particularly in Science, with a 53.2% proficiency rate that far exceeds both Mena High School's 31.8% and the state average of 44.0%. In contrast, Mena High School demonstrates a clear strength in Mathematics, achieving a 49.4% Algebra proficiency rate that tops both Acorn's 40.0% and the state's 36.9%. Mena also has a lower dropout rate of 1.3% compared to Acorn's 0.7% (from the prior year), though its graduation rate of 85.7% lags behind.
One of the most compelling findings is the dramatic improvement at Acorn High School, which jumped from the 57th to the 80th percentile in state rankings in just one year, driven by leaps in English Language Arts and Science proficiency. This suggests recent and effective changes in curriculum or instruction within the Ouachita River School District. Meanwhile, Mena High School, part of the Mena School District, offers a lower student-teacher ratio of 6.6:1 and higher per-student spending, yet achieves lower overall outcomes—a reminder that resource allocation does not always translate directly to results. Both schools provide distinct academic strengths, with Acorn leading in science and graduation rates, and Mena leading in mathematics.
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