Summary:
The two public schools in zip code 72517 (Brockwell, AR) serve grades 5 through 12 within the Izard County Consolidated School District, a 3-star district ranked in the 55th percentile in Arkansas, where over 98% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Izard County Cons Middle School (grades 5-8, 193 students) is the district's rising star, having jumped 14 percentile points to rank in the 63rd percentile. Its 6th-grade cohort excels across the board, outperforming state averages in Reading (57.2% vs. 41.7%), Science (59.2% vs. 42.5%), and Math (57.1% vs. 45.1%). However, the 5th-grade class struggles significantly, with only 22.2% proficient in Math compared to the state's 45.0%, suggesting performance is highly dependent on specific grade-level instruction. In contrast, Izard County Consolidated High School (grades 9-12, 218 students) boasts a strong 94.4% graduation rate and exceptional Biology proficiency (56.5% vs. 42.7% state), particularly among 9th graders (92.8%). Yet it faces a critical "Algebra cliff": while the middle school achieves 46.7% proficiency in Algebra, the high school plummets to just 11.1% (state: 36.9%), despite spending $5,876 more per student and having a lower student-teacher ratio (7.6:1 vs. 14.7:1).
The most important takeaway for parents is the stark contrast between the two schools' math trajectories. The middle school successfully accelerates students into Algebra, but that foundation is not sustained at the high school level, creating a severe academic weakness. Meanwhile, the high school's investment in resources appears to support high graduation rates and science achievement but fails to address core math deficits. The district's ability to replicate the middle school's recent upward trend across all grades—and bridge the math gap between schools—will determine its future success in serving this high-poverty community.
Thank you for your feedback!