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Public middle school · Searcy School District · Searcy, Arkansas

Southwest Middle School

Southwest Middle School rates 6.2, below most Searcy School District middle schools, whose rated median is 7.1.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.2this school

6.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Searcy School District median is 7.1.

#583 of 1,041 schools in Arkansas · Searcy School District: 2 middle schools rated, median 7.1

The brief

A Searcy School District middle school where students score 7 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 583 of 1,041 schools in Arkansas and 3 of 6 in Searcy School District.

Southwest Middle School is listed in Searcy School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math54%10 points above the Arkansas average of 44%855 students tested · 2026 ATLAS
Reading46%5 points above the Arkansas average of 41%853 students tested · 2026 ATLAS
In 2026, 54% of students were proficient in math and 46% in reading, against Arkansas averages of 44% and 41%.2026 ATLAS; 45 test records from AR state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.7
40% of the rating
Academics
8.3
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.9
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 61% (multi-year average, 2011-2026) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2011-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ATLAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ATLAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 72143; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2011-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Southwest Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$55,522
Median home value
$176,900
Median rent
$851/mo
College educated
27%
Homeownership
64%
Poverty rate
18%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 72143; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
65
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
47
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,576/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Searcy. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Searcy), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
54.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Southwest Middle School serve?

Southwest Middle School serves students in grades 4th through 6th.

How many students attend Southwest Middle School?

Southwest Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 879 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School is 15.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Southwest Middle School rank in AR?

Southwest Middle School ranks #583 of 1,041 schools in AR.

What is Southwest Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Southwest Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Southwest Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Southwest Middle School has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2011-2026) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2011-2026).

Is Southwest Middle School a charter school?

No, Southwest Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Southwest Middle School a Title I school?

No, Southwest Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Southwest Middle School?

54.4% of students at Southwest Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
4th – 6th
Enrollment
879
Student-teacher ratio
15.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
56
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Town
County
White County
Rank in district
#3 of 6
Schools in district
6
District spending per student
$10,718
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 72143)
35,523
Area average commute
19.4 min
Area median age
34.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Arkansas Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.