Corning School District, AR

Original Research by School Decision on Corning School District

Corning School District sits in Clay County, Arkansas, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district runs three schools: Park Elementary School, Corning Middle School, and Corning High School. State testing data from a recent school year provides a picture of academic performance for grades three through eight, though information for high school assessments was not included in the data we reviewed.

On the Arkansas ATLAS assessment, math proficiency varies widely by grade. The strongest results appear in fifth grade, where a substantial share of students met the proficiency standard. Fourth and sixth grades also showed a solid share of students reaching that bar. Third and seventh grades had a smaller share scoring proficient. A notable soft spot emerged in eighth grade math, where a very small share of students tested at the proficient level. In English language arts, the pattern is more consistent. Third and fourth grades had a modest share of students reaching proficiency, while fifth through eighth grades each showed a similar, somewhat larger share hitting that mark. Science results were the strongest subject overall. Third grade saw a moderate share of proficient students, and by fourth grade a larger share met the standard. Fifth, sixth, and seventh grades all posted a substantial share at proficiency, with eighth grade also showing a solid result.

A comparison among Clay County's districts places Corning's overall proficiency index at the top quartile, meaning its combined performance across tested grades and subjects sits higher than the midpoint of the county's two districts. The chronic absenteeism rate, however, falls in the bottom quartile among those same districts. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the context behind that figure. Per-pupil current spending positions the district in the middle range, upper half of its county peers.

The student body is predominantly white, with students identifying as Hispanic, two or more races, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native each making up a very small share of enrollment. No data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, or on special education and English learner populations, was available for this period.

Housing in the communities served by the district is notably affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. The typical home value in the area is well below both the Arkansas median and the national median. Zip code-level values range from the lowest in Corning to a higher point in Lafe. Monthly mortgage costs on a typical home with a standard down payment are modest. Rental cost data was not available.

The district brief we consulted found little in the way of recent, parent-relevant changes such as property tax shifts, curriculum overhauls, or referendums. That means a family moving into the area would largely encounter a stable district operation without a major recent disruption to factor in. The data we had did not include graduation rate information, high school course access details, or program offerings such as Advanced Placement or career and technical education pathways, so a parent seeking those specifics would need to contact the district directly.

Corning School District offers a small-district setting in a low-cost housing market. Its elementary and middle school testing shows a mixed picture, with science as a relative strength across multiple grades and eighth grade math as an area where performance is notably lower. The district's overall proficiency position among Clay County's schools is a positive, though the chronic absenteeism rate is a point a prospective family would want to investigate.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

794

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 3%

Black 1%

White 94%

Asian 0%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

CORNING HIGH SCHOOL

PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CORNING MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

23%

Grade 3

32%

Grade 4

45%

Grade 5

43%

Grade 6

44%

Grade 7

13%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

26%

Grade 3

29%

Grade 4

39%

Grade 5

39%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

39%

Grade 8

Science

6 grades reported

33%

Grade 3

43%

Grade 4

54%

Grade 5

50%

Grade 6

50%

Grade 7

44%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$110,074

Year-over-year change-0.7%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$105K to $173K

vs. state typical0.50x

vs. national typical0.30x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
72422	Corning	$105K	-0.9%	42.6%
72436	Lafe	$173K	+5.4%	2.3%
72444	Maynard	$142K	-4.8%	1.7%
72461		$122K	+2.5%	1.0%
72454	Piggott	$127K	+1.5%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$555/mo

Home price / national median income1.3x

Comparison

State typical home value$222,300 (+3.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.