ACORN HIGH SCHOOL

ACORN HIGH SCHOOL operates as a compact 9-12 campus in MENA, Arkansas, operated by OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT. Current enrollment sits at 281 students spanning grades 7 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 45% below the state mean of about 510.

ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is one of 3 schools operated by OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT, a district that hosts 735 students overall.

On the student-mix side, ACORN HIGH SCHOOL lists that the student body is overwhelmingly White (91%). Beyond that, the school logs 4% Hispanic, 3% Native American. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 53 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 5.3:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 8.8:1 average. About 65% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Polk County runs at roughly 74%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, ACORN HIGH SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 35.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 35.0%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Polk County) records that median household income runs about $49,191, about 18% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 12%. Across Polk County's 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,063 students), ACORN HIGH SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is ACORN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 0.1 miles away. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), ACORN HIGH SCHOOL ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 34.9%.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. ACORN HIGH SCHOOL's enrollment has edged up 10% since 2018, when it stood at 256 (now 281). Class-load math has pulled in: from 12.0:1 in 2018 to 5.3:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.