Summary:
Zip code 72765 in Springdale, Arkansas, is home to two large public high schools, Har-Ber High School and Springdale High School, both serving grades 9-12 within the Springdale School District.
These two schools, despite being similar in size with over 2,200 students each, present a stark contrast in performance. Har-Ber High School is the clear standout, ranking in the 52nd percentile statewide (141 out of 293) with a 3-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year. It boasts a higher graduation rate (92.4% vs. 87.6%), a lower dropout rate (1.9% vs. 3.8%), and significantly better test scores—for example, its English Language Arts proficiency (37.9%) is double that of Springdale High School (18.8%). In contrast, Springdale High School ranks in the bottom 10% (265th) with a 0-star rating, and its performance has been steadily declining. A key factor is socioeconomic status: Springdale High School has a much higher free/reduced lunch rate (85.86%) compared to Har-Ber High School (58.96%), which strongly correlates with the academic gap.
Interestingly, Springdale High School actually spends more per student ($13,873 vs. $12,085), indicating that funding alone is not solving its challenges. A universal concern for both schools is math proficiency, which is critically low. Har-Ber High School's Geometry proficiency (17.1%) and Springdale High School's (6.5%) both fall well below the state average of 26.4%, and both schools recorded a 0% proficiency rate in Algebra in recent years, pointing to a systemic math issue within the district.
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