Southwest Middle School

Summary:

Southwest Middle School is a public middle school located in Searcy, Arkansas, serving grades 4-6 with a total enrollment of 910 students. It is part of the Searcy School District, which is ranked 39 out of 252 school districts in Arkansas and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southwest Middle School consistently outperforms the Searcy School District and the state of Arkansas in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Southwest Middle School had 57.5% of students proficient or better in ATLAS/Mathematics, compared to 51.3% for the Searcy School District and 36.4% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.6 to 16.2 over the past three school years, which is lower than the nearby Ahlf Junior High School (13.0) and the Beebe middle schools (15.9 and 13.4). However, Southwest Middle School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 50.22% to 55.07% over the past three school years, which is higher than the nearby Ahlf Junior High School (44.87%) and the Beebe middle schools (49.49% and 50.87%).

While Southwest Middle School outperforms the state, it is interesting to note that the nearby Ahlf Junior High School and Beebe Junior High School also have strong academic performance, with Beebe Junior High School ranking 28th out of 335 Arkansas middle schools in the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, Southwest Middle School's spending per student ($7,538 in 2018-2019) is lower than the nearby Ahlf Junior High School ($8,686) and the Beebe middle schools ($8,221 and $9,030), which may indicate a need for additional funding to support the school's educational programs and resources.

Detail:

Public 4-6

1103 Woodruff St
Searcy, AR 72143

(501) 268-3125

District: Searcy School District

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,538

Students who attend Southwest Middle School usually attend:

High:

Searcy High School

Feeder schools for Southwest Middle School:

Elementary:	McRae Elementary School
	Sidney Deener Elementary School
	Westside Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 879

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.4%

Two or more races:

9.7%

African American:

9.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.4%

See top rated Arkansas public schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwest Middle School ranks better than 83.1% of elementary schools in Arkansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.29. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.4%), two or more races (9.7%), African American (9.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School is 15.4. (See more...)

Compare Southwest Middle School employs 56.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest Middle School is $7,538.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Southwest Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Searcy School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Searcy School District 39^th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southwest Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2014	68.78	131^st	471	72.2%
2015	80.49	68^th	466	85.4%
2016	70.20	112^th	494	77.3%
2017	72.34	109^th	485	77.5%
2018	77.73	90^th	480	81.3%
2019	73.81	111^th	488	77.3%
2021	67.09	161^st	496	67.5%
2022	71.49	123^rd	487	74.7%
2023	81.54	72^nd	492	85.4%
2024	79.29	84^th	497	83.1%

See the entire list of Arkansas Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Southwest Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2012	815	91	8	56	3	44	1017
2013	782	105	7	85	3	49	1031
2014	695	101	9	81	1	54	941
2015	648	101	11	86	0	51	897
2016	635	102	12	82	2	56	889
2017	665	109	15	94	2	55	940
2018	690	109	12	106	4	69	990
2019	707	123	11	102	1	85	1029
2020	731	118	9	86	1	85	1030
2021	680	99	13	100	0	65	957
2022	674	90	12	93	0	69	938
2023	650	82	17	90	0	71	910
2024	610	84	19	81	0	85	879

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southwest Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	1017	58.2	17.4	46.1
2013	1031	64.1	16.0	54.3
2014	941	61.5	15.2	52
2015	897	56.0	16.0	56
2016	889	60.0	14.8	58.6
2017	940	57.4	16.3	26.8
2018	990	60.2	16.4	26.2
2019	1029	63.8	16.1	51
2020	1030	62.6	16.4	52.7
2021	957	58.9	16.2	55.1
2022	938	64.1	14.6	51.3
2023	910	59.1	15.3	50.2
2024	879	56.9	15.4	54.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Southwest Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	1017	58.2	17.4	46.1
2013	1031	64.1	16.0	54.3
2014	941	61.5	15.2	52
2015	897	56.0	16.0	56
2016	889	60.0	14.8	58.6
2017	940	57.4	16.3	26.8
2018	990	60.2	16.4	26.2
2019	1029	63.8	16.1	51
2020	1030	62.6	16.4	52.7
2021	957	58.9	16.2	55.1
2022	938	64.1	14.6	51.3
2023	910	59.1	15.3	50.2
2024	879	56.9	15.4	54.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southwest Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$998 (13.2%)	$6,539 (86.7%)	$7,538

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 111^th of 488 Elementary schools	Ranks 72^nd of 492 Elementary schools	8.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
4th Grade English (Southwest Middle School)	71.5	76.8	5.3%
4th Grade English (Searcy School District)	71.5	76.8	5.3%
4th Grade English (Arkansas)	69.6	63.3	6.3%
4th Grade Math (Southwest Middle School)	56.2	68.9	12.7%
4th Grade Math (Searcy School District)	56.2	68.9	12.7%
4th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.8	48.6	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Southwest Middle School)	46.5	52.5	6%
4th Grade Science (Searcy School District)	46.5	52.5	6%
4th Grade Science (Arkansas)	42.3	38.5	3.8%
4th Grade Reading (Southwest Middle School)	51.1	55.8	4.7%
4th Grade Reading (Searcy School District)	51.1	55.8	4.7%
4th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	45.3	42	3.3%
5th Grade English (Southwest Middle School)	78.9	79.9	1%
5th Grade English (Searcy School District)	78.9	79.9	1%
5th Grade English (Arkansas)	73.3	70.2	3.1%
5th Grade Math (Southwest Middle School)	66.9	59.9	7%
5th Grade Math (Searcy School District)	66.9	59.9	7%
5th Grade Math (Arkansas)	49.2	40.7	8.5%
5th Grade Science (Southwest Middle School)	55.3	48.6	6.7%
5th Grade Science (Searcy School District)	55.3	48.6	6.7%
5th Grade Science (Arkansas)	40.7	34.6	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Southwest Middle School)	55.5	45.8	9.7%
5th Grade Reading (Searcy School District)	55.5	45.8	9.7%
5th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	41	36.8	4.2%
6th Grade English (Southwest Middle School)	76.6	75.4	1.2%
6th Grade English (Searcy School District)	76.6	75.4	1.2%
6th Grade English (Arkansas)	72.8	67.6	5.2%
6th Grade Math (Southwest Middle School)	75.9	66.2	9.7%
6th Grade Math (Searcy School District)	75.9	66.2	9.7%
6th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.7	47	6.7%
6th Grade Science (Southwest Middle School)	58.1	48.2	9.9%
6th Grade Science (Searcy School District)	58.1	48.2	9.9%
6th Grade Science (Arkansas)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
6th Grade Reading (Southwest Middle School)	54.5	41.4	13.1%
6th Grade Reading (Searcy School District)	54.5	41.4	13.1%
6th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	43.1	39	4.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1029	910	11.6%
African American	123	82	33.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	11	17	54.5%
Hispanic	102	90	11.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	707	650	8.1%
Two or More Races	85	71	16.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51%	50.2%	0.8%

Schools Near Southwest Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)						ATLAS Reading (2024)						ATLAS Mathematics (2024)						ATLAS Algebra (2024)		ATLAS Science (2024)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwest Middle School	Public	4-6	1103 Woodruff St	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 268-3125	879	57	15.4	54.4%	610 (69.4%)	84 (9.6%)	81 (9.2%)	19 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (9.7%)								(n/a)	40.0	46.0	41.2			42.5	40.8	45.1	40.6			42.3	58.8	53.2	60.9			57.5			43.0	52.7	48.8			48.3	$7,538	$998	$6,539
Ahlf Junior High School	Public	7-8	308 W Vine	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 268-3158	618	47	13.0	47.1%	449 (72.7%)	56 (9.1%)	57 (9.2%)	11 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.3%)	70.8	72^nd of 335 public middle schools	78.5%		65.8	103^rd of 330 public middle schools	68.8%	31				40.8	34.6	37.5				39.0	34.2	36.5				45.8	31.8	39.6	66.7	66.7				48.7	43.3	45.9	$8,686	$953	$7,733
Riverview Junior High School	Public	7-8	820 Raider Dr	Searcy	72143	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 279-7111	195	18	11.1	77.9%	134 (68.7%)	18 (9.2%)	29 (14.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.7%)	30.1	251^st of 335 public middle schools	25.1%		19.3	280^th of 330 public middle schools	15.2%	29				25.8	25.4	25.7				24.7	24.5	24.6				20.2	9.7	14.8	23.1	23.1				22.4	28.3	25.7	$11,858	$1,863	$9,995
Bald Knob Middle School	Public	6-8	103 W Park St	Bald Knob	72010	White County	Bald Knob School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 724-5652	248	19	13.3	63.7%	212 (85.5%)	8 (3.2%)	12 (4.8%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.8%)	39.5	210^th of 335 public middle schools	37.3%		53	167^th of 330 public middle schools	49.4%	43			29.6	36.5	18.8	26.8			28.2	31.7	16.8	24.2			33.8	47.6	10.0	29.0	23.8	23.8			28.1	42.8	24.8	30.6	$8,868	$1,376	$7,492
Beebe Middle School	Public	5-6	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 726-9705	508	29	17.3	56.1%	439 (86.4%)	21 (4.1%)	25 (4.9%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.5%)								(n/a)		31.2	32.6			31.9		32.0	31.4			31.7		35.2	33.9			34.6				28.4	33.9			31.1	$8,221	$1,092	$7,129
Beebe Junior High School	Public	7-8	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 882-8414	484	34	14.1	56.2%	423 (87.4%)	16 (3.3%)	27 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	86.2	28^th of 335 public middle schools	91.6%		67.1	91^st of 330 public middle schools	72.4%	63				40.8	44.4	42.6				45.5	46.6	46.0				57.6	56.0	56.9	97.1	97.1				44.9	53.6	49.2	$9,030	$1,064	$7,966

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Middle School

What high school do graduates of Southwest Middle School attend?

Students who attend Southwest Middle School usually go on to attend Searcy High School

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Middle School?

Students at Southwest Middle School are 69% White, 10% Two or more races, 10% African American, 9% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Southwest Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 879 students attended Southwest Middle School.

What district is Southwest Middle School in?

Searcy School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.