Summary:
The four public schools in zip code 72921 (Alma, Arkansas) serve approximately 3,092 students from Pre-K through 12th grade within the highly-rated Alma School District, which ranks 30th out of 251 districts in the state.
Alma High School is the standout performer, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 25th out of 293 high schools in Arkansas. It boasts the district's lowest student-to-teacher ratio (8.1:1) and highest spending per student ($12,932), correlating with strong academic outcomes. Alma Middle School excels in mathematics, with an extraordinary 91% proficiency rate in 8th-grade Algebra, feeding directly into the high school where 9th-grade Geometry proficiency reaches 91.7%. Alma Intermediate School has shown the most dramatic improvement, jumping 81 spots in state ranking over two years despite having the district's highest student-to-teacher ratio (19.2:1) and lowest spending ($10,089). Alma Primary School serves the youngest students (PK-2) with 704 students and the highest percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (50.71%).
Key takeaways include a powerful math pipeline from middle school through high school, with advanced students identified and accelerated early. The district consistently outperforms state averages in nearly every subject and grade level, with the exception of 4th and 5th-grade scores at the Intermediate School, which fall slightly below state averages in ELA and Science. The high school also maintains an exceptionally low dropout rate of 0.1% and a graduation rate of 91.0%, reflecting a strong district-wide culture of academic achievement.
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