Summary:
The Mena School District in Arkansas is home to two elementary schools: Holly Harshman Elementary School and Louise Durham Elementary School. These schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade and face some challenges in providing high-quality education to their predominantly low-income student populations.
Holly Harshman Elementary School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past three years, dropping from 148th in 2021-2022 to 265th in 2023-2024. The school's proficiency rates in core subjects like English Language Arts, Reading, and Mathematics are generally below the state and district averages, with the exception of 5th-grade ELA and Reading. However, the school outperforms the state in science across all grade levels. Louise Durham Elementary School does not have any statewide ranking or rating information available, but it spends more per student than Holly Harshman Elementary School.
Both Holly Harshman Elementary School and Louise Durham Elementary School have a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively low-income student population. This raises questions about the Mena School District's ability to provide equitable educational opportunities and resources to all students. Addressing the academic performance issues and understanding the factors behind the declining performance at Holly Harshman Elementary School could be important focus areas for the district's leadership and policymakers.
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