Best Public Schools in Zip Code 72444

The zip code 72444, serving the Maynard area of Arkansas, is home to two public schools within the Maynard School District, which serves grades PK-12 and has earned a 3-star rating, ranking 110th out of 251 districts in the state.

The standout school in this area is Maynard High School, which has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from a 2-star to a 4-star rating over the last three years. It now outperforms state averages in English Language Arts, Reading, and Science, despite over 98% of its students facing economic disadvantage. A key factor is its exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 3.4:1, allowing for significant individual attention. In contrast, Maynard Elementary School is struggling, with consistently low rankings and test scores below state averages in nearly every subject. This creates a stark performance gap within the same district, raising questions about the transition from elementary to high school.

Key metrics highlight this divide: the high school has a very low dropout rate of 0.8% and spends $13,662 per student, while the elementary school spends $11,835 per student with a higher student-teacher ratio of 15.4:1. A notable finding is the "Algebra Cliff," where 8th-grade Algebra proficiency is strong at 64.3%, but 9th-grade proficiency drops to just 12.9%. The district's primary challenge is to replicate the high school's success at the elementary level to ensure all students build a strong academic foundation from the start.