ODEN SCHOOLS

ODEN SCHOOLS, a minimally staffed multi-level school in MENA, Arkansas, overseen by OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT, teaches 133 students, covering grades K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 534 students per school, that is 75% smaller than typical.

OUACHITA RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 735 students. ODEN SCHOOLS is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, ODEN SCHOOLS records that the student body is overwhelmingly White (82%). Beyond that, the school records 8% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 5% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 91% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school employs 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 4.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 8.3:1, putting ODEN SCHOOLS tighter than the state norm the norm. About 78% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, ODEN SCHOOLS performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 30.2%, the actual is 37.3%, a residual of +7.0 points.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Montgomery County indicate median household earnings sit near $48,906, about 17% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 18%. Across Montgomery County's 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,138 students), ODEN SCHOOLS is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is MOUNT IDA HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 9.2 miles away. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts ODEN SCHOOLS at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 36.0%.

ODEN SCHOOLS operates from a small-town location.

Looking at the recent track record. ODEN SCHOOLS's enrollment has declined 24% since 2018, when it stood at 174 (now 133). Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 87% to 82%. Class-load math has tightened: from 9.2:1 in 2018 to 4.5:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.