Schools in Zip Code 72946

The three public schools in zip code 72946, serving the Mountainburg area, are all part of the Mountainburg School District, which is ranked 152nd out of 251 districts in Arkansas and holds a 2-star rating. These schools include Mountainburg Elementary School (PK-5, 338 students), Mountainburg Middle School Brain Academy (6-8, 132 students), and Mountainburg High School (9-12, 185 students). A critical factor across all schools is the extremely high level of economic disadvantage, with 100% of students at the elementary and middle schools qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and 97.3% at the high school.

The standout school is Mountainburg High School, which excels in Biology with 51.8% of students proficient, outperforming the state average by 9.1 percentage points. However, it struggles profoundly in math, with only 9.1% proficient in Algebra and 7.4% in Geometry, far below state averages. The high school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 8.4:1, but its graduation rate of 82.0% is below the state average of 90.1%. In contrast, Mountainburg Elementary School shows a remarkable "4th Grade Peak," where 4th graders achieved 58.8% proficiency in both Math and Science, significantly exceeding state averages. This performance drops sharply in 5th grade, suggesting the strength may be tied to a specific teacher or method rather than a systemic strength.

The Mountainburg Middle School Brain Academy is the weakest link, ranking in the 28th percentile (1-star) with consistently low proficiency rates, such as 17.9% in 6th-grade English Language Arts versus the state's 40.8%. This represents a critical drop-off from the elementary school and impacts high school readiness. Overall, the district generally trails state averages, but the elementary school's ability to match or exceed state averages in several subjects despite high poverty is a notable achievement. The high school's extreme disparity between strong Biology performance and weak math skills is a major concern for college and career readiness.