Best Public Schools in Zip Code 72411

The two public schools in zip code 72411, serving the Bay, Arkansas area, are both part of the Bay School District, which is ranked 146th out of 251 districts in the state. Bay Elementary School serves grades K-6 with 317 students, while Bay High School serves grades 7-12 with 233 students, creating a small, close-knit educational environment.

The two schools present a study in contrasts. Bay High School is a standout for its dramatic ranking recovery, jumping from the 21st percentile to the 38th percentile in one year, and it excels as a "STEM hub" with strong proficiency in Algebra (42.9%) and Biology (42.4%). In contrast, Bay Elementary has seen its ranking decline over three years, despite year-over-year improvements in test scores across all subjects. A critical red flag at the elementary school is a "4th grade slump," where only 18.9% of 4th graders are proficient in ELA compared to the state average of 41.4%. Both schools benefit from very small class sizes, with Bay High School at a 9.2:1 student-teacher ratio and Bay Elementary at 13.7:1, and per-student spending is high, especially at the high school ($15,020).

Key metrics show that Bay High School has a graduation rate of 88.5% and a very low dropout rate of 0.4%, while 60.57% of elementary students and 48.93% of high school students are economically disadvantaged. A universal weakness across the district is Geometry, with only 18.7% proficiency at the high school. Overall, the district offers personalized attention due to small class sizes, but families should note the elementary school's 4th-grade challenges and the high school's strong STEM focus as defining characteristics of this area's schools.