Summary:
In zip code 72734, there is one middle school, Gentry Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Gentry, Arkansas, as part of the Gentry School District.
Gentry Middle School is a school on the rise, showing strong positive momentum. Its state ranking jumped from the 39th percentile (2 stars) in the 2024-2025 school year to the 52nd percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026, a climb of 43 spots. The school's standout subject is Algebra, where an impressive 81.5% of tested students were proficient in 2025-2026, far exceeding the state average of 36.9%. Science is also a relative strength, with overall proficiency at 48.1% compared to the state's 44.0%, and 8th graders achieving 55.7% proficiency—nearly 13 points above the state average. However, the school lags slightly behind state averages in English Language Arts (36.1% vs. 39.4%), Reading (36.5% vs. 40.4%), and Mathematics (37.5% vs. 44.1%).
With 425 students and a student-teacher ratio of 13.4:1, the school serves a majority low-income community (55% free/reduced lunch rate) while spending $11,439 per student. The extreme success in Algebra, contrasted with below-average scores in other math areas, suggests a focused, accelerated track for top math students. The school's overall improvement trajectory and strong science performance, despite economic challenges, indicate effective resource allocation and targeted instruction that are beginning to yield results.
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