Summary:
Zip code 72742, serving the rural community of Kingston, Arkansas, is home to a single high school, Kingston High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 with a small enrollment of 92 students within the Jasper School District.
Kingston High School is a standout institution that defies expectations. Despite serving a community where 96.74% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the school has achieved top-tier state rankings, including a peak of 6th out of 305 schools in Arkansas (98th percentile) in the 2023-2024 school year. Its most recent ranking for 2025-2026 is 61st out of 293 (79th percentile, 4-star rating), still a strong performance. The school’s success is likely driven by an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 2.6:1 and high per-student spending of $18,227, which create a highly personalized learning environment. The graduation rate of 90.9% slightly exceeds the state average of 90.1%.
Academically, the school shows a fascinating split in performance. On the 2025-2026 ATLAS exams, students excelled in Algebra (50% proficient vs. 36.9% state) and Science (46.4% vs. 44% state), but struggled in English Language Arts (28% vs. 39.4% state) and Reading (28% vs. 40.4% state). A notable data point is that 7th graders scored 0% proficient in both ELA and Reading, which may be an anomaly due to the small cohort size but suggests a need for targeted literacy support. The school’s ranking has been volatile, dropping from the 98th to the 79th percentile in two years, which could reflect changes in state testing or student cohorts. Overall, Kingston High School demonstrates that intensive resources and personalized instruction can overcome significant economic challenges, though it has clear areas for improvement in literacy.
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