Summary:
The five public schools in zip code 72751, serving grades PK-12 within the Pea Ridge School District, are located in the growing community of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, and serve approximately 2,670 students with a district ranking in the 57th percentile statewide.
The district's standout academic performer is Pea Ridge Middle School (grades 5-6), which leads the district with a 65.5% Mathematics proficiency rate—over 21 points higher than both the district and state averages. In stark contrast, Pea Ridge Junior High School (grades 7-9) shows a significant performance drop, with general Math scores at 42.9% and 8th-grade Math at just 24.2%, though it excels in advanced coursework like Geometry (72.4%) and Biology (75.3%). Pea Ridge High School (grades 10-12) boasts a strong 94.7% graduation rate and the highest spending per student at $13,869, while Pea Ridge Primary School (PK-2) and Pea Ridge Intermediate School (3-4) provide a solid early foundation, though the Intermediate School has seen its state ranking drop from the 84th to the 57th percentile over three years.
A key takeaway is the "leaky pipeline" effect: the district builds strong academic skills through 6th grade, but performance dips sharply in Junior High before recovering at the High School level. The spending paradox is also notable—the Junior High spends the least per student ($9,280) yet produces the highest advanced coursework scores, while the High School spends the most but doesn't lead in overall test proficiency. With moderate economic diversity (30-35% free/reduced lunch eligibility) and varying student-teacher ratios from 14.6:1 to 21.9:1, families should note that the middle school years (5-6) are the district's academic peak, while the Junior High transition (7-9) presents the biggest challenge.
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