Summary:
Zip code 71958 in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is home to two schools—Murfreesboro Elementary School (serving grades PK-6) and Murfreesboro High School (serving grades 7-12)—both part of the South Pike County School District, which is ranked 145th out of 251 districts in Arkansas.
Murfreesboro Elementary School stands out as the stronger performer, particularly in Mathematics, where its overall proficiency rate of 49.2% exceeds the state average of 44.1%. This is especially notable given that over 99% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school’s strongest math performance is in the early grades, with 3rd graders scoring 58.3% proficient and 4th graders scoring 62.5% proficient—both well above state averages. In contrast, Murfreesboro High School shows a sharp decline in its state ranking, dropping from the 81st percentile in 2023-2024 to the 37th percentile in 2025-2026. Despite this, the high school excels in advanced coursework, with 8th graders taking Algebra scoring 88.2% proficient and 9th graders taking Geometry scoring 72.8% proficient, both above state averages. The high school also maintains a solid graduation rate of 91.6% and a very low dropout rate of 0.3%.
A key takeaway is the contrasting trends between the two schools. The elementary school is improving and achieving above-average math results despite high poverty, while the high school is declining overall despite having more resources per student ($14,690 vs. $13,412) and a better student-teacher ratio (7.3 vs. 15.3). This suggests that the high school’s challenges may stem from curriculum or engagement issues rather than a lack of funding. Parents should note that while the elementary school offers a strong foundation in math, the high school provides excellent advanced course opportunities but struggles with general academic performance, particularly in 10th-grade English Language Arts, where proficiency is just 18.9% compared to the state average of 37.2%.
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