Tammy Curtis, Publisher
The Arkansas Department of Education released its 2025-26 district and school letter grades Sept. 17, with several schools in Sharp and Fulton counties posting substantial increases in their accountability scores.
Schools and districts receive letter grades based on their overall performance under the state accountability system. Factors include student achievement, academic growth and, where applicable, graduation and postsecondary readiness.
Achievement measures how effectively students meet grade-level expectations on statewide assessments, while growth measures students’ progress relative to previous test scores. Graduation and readiness measures include graduation rates, advanced coursework, industry-recognized credentials, and other indicators of preparation for college or careers.
Three area schools that earned A grades — Cave City High Career and Collegiate Preparatory School, Cherokee Elementary School and Salem Elementary School — were also recognized through the state’s 2026 Arkansas Gem Schools program.
Sharp County
Cave City School District
The Cave City School District maintained its B letter grade while increasing its overall score by 18.61 points from 2024-25.
Cave City High Career and Collegiate Preparatory School improved from a B to an A after increasing its score by 25.62 points.
The high school was also recognized as an Arkansas Gem School, earning recognition for the top 5 percent in achievement and top 10 percent in English language arts achievement, ELA growth, math achievement, science achievement, and science growth.
Cave City Middle School Career and Collegiate Preparatory maintained its B while increasing its score by 7 points.
Cave City Elementary School improved from a C to a B, a 46.65-point increase.
Highland School District
The Highland School District maintained its B letter grade while posting a 67.44-point increase in its district-wide score, the largest district-wide increase among the five area districts reviewed.
Highland High School improved from a C to a B after increasing its score by 37.9 points.
Highland Middle School also moved from a C to a B, posting a 110.94-point increase.
Cherokee Elementary School improved from a B to an A after increasing its score by 81.93 points.
Cherokee Elementary was also recognized as an Arkansas Gem School, placing in the top 5 percent for growth and the top 10 percent for ELA and math growth.
Fulton County
Salem School District
The Salem School District improved from a B to an A after increasing its districtwide score by 60.8 points. The district ranked in the top 9 percent statewide.
Salem High School maintained its B while increasing its score by 10 points.
Salem Elementary School improved from a B to an A after increasing its score by 131.5 points — the largest year-over-year increase among the individual schools reviewed in Sharp and Fulton counties.
Salem Elementary was also recognized as an Arkansas Gem School, placing in the top 5 percentfor growth and the top 10 percentstatewide in both math achievement and math growth.
Mammoth Spring School District
The Mammoth Spring School District dropped from a B to a C after its district wide score decreased by 27.15 points.
Mammoth Spring High School also dropped from a B to a C, with its score declining by 84.15 points, the largest decrease among the area schools reviewed.
Mammoth Spring Elementary School maintained its C while increasing its score by 4.98 points.
Viola School District
The Viola School District maintained its B while increasing its district wide score by 15.2 points.
Viola High School remained at a C, although its score decreased by 5.86 points.
Viola Elementary School also maintained its C but increased its score by 46.46 points.
Overall, four of the five area districts reviewed increased their accountability scores from 2024-25, with Highland posting the largest district wide gain, followed by Salem, Cave City and Viola. Mammoth Spring was the only district among the five to record a year-over-year decline.
