Enrollment
281
High
DISTRICT 245 · STATE 510
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 050007300002
ACORN HIGH SCHOOL
143 POLK ROAD 96, MENA, AR 71953 · (479) 394-5544 · Polk County
GRADES 07–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL281 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 77% of Arkansas public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Arkansas public high schools
Student : Teacher
5.3:1
53 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 8.2:1 · STATE 8.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
65%
182 students
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 70%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 49 | 17% |
| Grade 8 | 35 | 12% |
| Grade 9 | 55 | 20% |
| Grade 10 | 49 | 17% |
| Grade 11 | 49 | 17% |
| Grade 12 | 44 | 16% |
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 21% · STATE 61% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ATLAS 2024-25 . % Proficient (Level 3+4)English Language Arts
34.7%
AR avg 34.9% . -2.0pp since 2023
Math
29.0%
AR avg 38.9% . +2.2pp since 2023
What this means: On the ATLAS, Arkansas's statewide test, about 35 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 29 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arkansas schools, those numbers are about 35 and 39. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 2 points.
ATLAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 34.7% | 29.0% |
| 2023-24 | 36.7% | 26.8% |
% Proficient (Level 3+4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: ATLAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
35.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
35.8%
based on AR schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 36% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 36% typical for Arkansas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Arkansas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like ACORN HIGH SCHOOL
ACORN HIGH SCHOOL's state test result (35.7% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACORN HIGH SCHOOL this school | 281 | 64.8% | 35.7% |
| PIGGOTT HIGH SCHOOL PIGGOTT | 330 | 63.3% | 20.3% |
| TUCKERMAN HIGH SCHOOL TUCKERMAN | 288 | 63.9% | 54.6% |
| BISMARCK HIGH SCHOOL BISMARCK | 317 | 62.5% | 43.4% |
| ATKINS HIGH SCHOOL ATKINS | 317 | 67.8% | 29.1% |
| WONDERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL HATTIEVILLE | 226 | 61.1% | 23.1% |
Matched among Arkansas high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where ACORN HIGH SCHOOL ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 35.7% | #71 of 272 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 29.0% | #79 of 132 ▼ 7 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 34.7% | #93 of 280 ▼ 21 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 281 | #187 of 310 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 5.3:1 | #37 of 245 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 16.1% | #204 of 246 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 64.8% | #136 of 273 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +9.8% | #53 of 105 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
281
+19 (+7%) vs 2020
+18% since 2010-11, when it was 239
Student : Teacher
5.3:1
was 7.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 281 | 53 | 5.3:1 | 65% (182) |
| 2023-24 | 267 | 53.3 | 5.0:1 | 61% (164) |
| 2022-23 | 293 | 49.9 | 5.9:1 | 62% (181) |
| 2020-21 | 262 | 34 | 7.7:1 | 67% (176) |
| 2017-18 | 256 | 21.4 | 12.0:1 | 38% (98) |
| 2015-16 | 281 | 21 | 13.4:1 | 72% (201) |
| 2010-11 | 239 | 20 | 11.9:1 | 66% (158) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for ACORN HIGH SCHOOL.
About ACORN HIGH SCHOOL
In MENA, Arkansas, part of Polk County, ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is a high school. School enrollment was 281 students in 2024-25, in grades 7 through 12. The average among high schools in Arkansas is roughly 510 students; this school is 45% smaller than that.
ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is one school in a 3-school district, OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT, which enrolls 735 students.
The large majority of students at ACORN HIGH SCHOOL, 91%, are White. Other reported shares: 4% Hispanic and 3% Native American. That is close to the 88% White share among all Polk County residents. ACORN HIGH SCHOOL has a diversity index of 16%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
The count of teachers at ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is 53 full-time equivalents, for a ratio of 5.3:1. The average ratio among high schools in Arkansas is 8.8:1, higher than at this school. Around 65% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. It compares with 74% for public schools in Polk County.
Measured against Arkansas public high schools, ACORN HIGH SCHOOL receives an A-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
The school's average proficiency rate on state tests is 35.7%. For its free or reduced-price lunch share, the predicted value is 35.8%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Polk County, median household income is about $49,191, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 18% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 12%. ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is one of 11 public schools in Polk County, which together enroll about 3,063 students.
ACORN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is located about 0.1 miles from ACORN HIGH SCHOOL. Within five miles are 6 other public schools. Its average proficiency rate of 35.7% is above the 31.0% average for nearby schools.
Under the NCES locale system, ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is Rural: Distant.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the student count climbed from 262 to 281. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 7.7:1; by 2024-25 it was 5.3:1.
If you have questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at ACORN HIGH SCHOOL, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
19,361
Census ACS
Median income
$49,191
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
12%
Below federal line
Schools in county
11
3,063 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT
- ACORN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 321 students
- ODEN SCHOOLSCombined · 133 students
Other schools in MENA
- MENA HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 503 students
- HOLLY HARSHMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 438 students
- MENA MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 393 students
- LOUISE DURHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 357 students
- ACORN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 321 students
- ODEN SCHOOLSCombined · 133 students
Nearby schools
- ACORN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.1 mi · 321
- HOLLY HARSHMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3.8 mi · 438
- MENA HIGH SCHOOL4.0 mi · 503
- POLK COUNTY VIRTUAL ACADEMY4.0 mi · 12
- MENA MIDDLE SCHOOL4.0 mi · 393
- LOUISE DURHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4.2 mi · 357
Frequently asked questions
About ACORN HIGH SCHOOLHow many students attend ACORN HIGH SCHOOL?
ACORN HIGH SCHOOL enrolls approximately 281 students in grades 07-12.
What age range does ACORN HIGH SCHOOL serve?
ACORN HIGH SCHOOL serves students from grade 07 through grade 12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at ACORN HIGH SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is approximately 5.3:1 (53 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at ACORN HIGH SCHOOL?
At ACORN HIGH SCHOOL, the student body is approximately 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 0% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Is ACORN HIGH SCHOOL public or private?
ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is a public K-12 school, overseen by OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.