Green Forest Intermed School, Green Forest AR

Original Research by School Decision on Green Forest Intermed School

Green Forest Intermediate School serves grades four through eight and sits within the Green Forest School District in Carroll County, Arkansas. The town itself is a small, predominantly residential and agricultural community that has seen steady population growth in recent years. Tyson Foods operates a poultry processing plant in Green Forest, which anchors the local economy and contributes to the town’s notably diverse population compared with much of rural Arkansas. The school district, which also includes an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, is a significant local employer.

The school’s enrollment is mid-sized for its grade band, and the student body reflects the broader community’s diversity. Hispanic or Latino students and white students each make up a substantial share, with smaller but noticeable Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander populations. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common indicator of economic need in school funding contexts.

On the Arkansas ATLAS state assessments, proficiency rates across the tested grades and subjects fall in a range that, when taken together, places the school in the bottom quartile among Carroll County’s districts, a comparison set that includes only three districts. Within the school itself, results vary by grade and subject. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above hovers around a third or just above in fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth grades, while sixth grade shows a lower rate. In English language arts, the pattern is similar, with fourth and sixth grades around a third proficient and fifth and seventh grades a bit lower; eighth grade stands out with a higher rate. In science, eighth graders also post a higher rate relative to the other grades. Taken across all three subjects, the overall proficiency rate for the school places it below the midpoint among its county peers.

A parent considering this school will want to understand how these assessment results fit in the context of the district and the broader county. Because the county comparison set is small, a single district’s results can shift the picture notably. The school’s data do not include information on chronic absenteeism or special education populations, so a family wondering about those areas would need to ask the school directly. Graduation rate does not apply here, since the school does not serve high school grades.

The community setting is compact, with a downtown square featuring local businesses and a library, and a city park with sports fields and a restored train station that anchors recreation. Walkability is likely limited to the immediate downtown area, and most residents rely on cars. Major highways pass through town, and bus service is available. The poultry industry has provided a degree of economic stability, and the district itself operates a notable number of schools for a town of this size.

For a family, this is a school that reflects the character of its community: a small-town intermediate school in a diverse, working-class area with a strong industrial employer at its center. The academic proficiency picture suggests a school where less than half of students reach the proficient bar in most tested subjects and grades, which is a pattern a parent would want to explore further with the school’s administration, perhaps by asking about specific support programs, instructional approaches, or recent changes in curriculum. The absence of data on English learner services and special education means those conversations are especially relevant for families whose children might qualify for those supports. The school’s mid-sized enrollment and single-building structure mean students likely know their peers and teachers well, a feature that appeals to families looking for a close-knit school environment.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 35%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 4 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 33%

even with state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 39%

▲ 10 pts above state median

Science

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 34%

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 35%

even with state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 10 pts above state median

This schoolGREEN FOREST SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income50%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income72%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income33%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income43%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income38%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income30%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income56%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income17%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income36%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income15%8 pp gap