Summary:
Zip code 72206 is home to a single high school, Mills University Studies High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Pulaski County Special School District.
Mills University Studies High School enrolls 612 students and faces significant academic challenges. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 12-16% of all Arkansas high schools, earning a 1-star rating. Proficiency rates are alarmingly low across all subjects, with only 6.3% of students proficient in Algebra and 8.9% in Geometry—a staggering 30-point gap behind the state average. English Language Arts proficiency sits at 18.9% compared to the state's 39.4%, and Biology proficiency is 17.2% versus 42.7% statewide. The graduation rate of 75.4% is well below the district average of 85.7% and the state average of 90.1%, while the dropout rate is 3.4%.
Despite spending $16,041 per student—a notably high figure—academic outcomes remain among the lowest in the state, suggesting that financial resources alone are not addressing underlying challenges. A relative bright spot is 9th-grade Biology, where 32.6% of students are proficient, significantly higher than the 10th-grade Biology score of 11.2%, possibly indicating a positive impact from a specific teacher or curriculum change. However, overall performance has stagnated over the past two years, with no meaningful improvement in test scores or state ranking. The discrepancy between the low graduation rate and the relatively low dropout rate (3.4%) suggests many students may be leaving through alternative pathways, warranting further investigation into student retention and completion.
Thank you for your feedback!