The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Math. The lowest is 47% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Cross Cnty High a New Tech Sch
Cross County High A New Tech School serves grades seven through twelve as a charter school within the Cross County School District. The school sits on a consolidated campus outside Cherry Valley, a small, rural agriculture-based town in northern Cross County. The campus was created years ago when the towns of Cherry Valley, Vanndale, and Hickory Ridge merged their secondary grades into a single building. Later, the elementary schools from those same communities also moved into one building near the high school, meaning the district's educational center is now detached from any one town's core. Cherry Valley itself is a quiet Delta-adjacent farm town with limited commercial activity, anchored by agricultural businesses, a couple of banks, and civic buildings like City Hall and the library. The population has been in a slow decline as farming has mechanized, and no major new housing developments are documented.
The school is small, with an enrollment that fits its rural setting. The vast majority of students are white, with a smaller share of Black students and a very small Hispanic population. Every single student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic context of the community. This is a high-poverty school by that measure, and a parent should be aware that the school serves a student body where economic need is universal. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a family with a child receiving those services may want to contact the school directly to understand how those populations are supported.
On state assessments, the school's results show a mixed picture. In math, seventh graders performed at a level that is around the midpoint of what a parent would expect to see, while eighth graders performed a bit higher. In English language arts, seventh graders again landed around the middle, but eighth graders fell to a lower level, where fewer than half of students tested met the proficiency standard. Science results followed a similar pattern, with seventh graders at a middle level and eighth graders lower. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to the other district in Cross County. That is a narrow comparison set, since the county has only two districts, but it does put the school in the stronger position of the two.
The school carries the "New Tech" designation, which typically signals a focus on project-based learning, technology integration, and college and career readiness. As a charter school, it operates with some flexibility from standard district rules, though it remains part of the Cross County School District. The grade span of seven through twelve means the school is a single building for all secondary years, so a student who enters in seventh grade would stay in the same school community through graduation. The graduation rate was not reported in the available data, so a family wanting to understand how many students finish on time would need to seek that information from the school itself.
For housing, the local market is quite affordable relative to national benchmarks. Typical home values in the area are well below the national median, and estimated monthly mortgage costs for a median-priced home are modest. The economic context shows a national unemployment rate that has been steady, and the area has not seen the rapid price increases common in many parts of the country. This is a place where housing costs are not a barrier for most working families, though the trade-off is limited local employment beyond agriculture and related businesses.
The school environment data, including discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance, was not available. A parent looking into this school should consider asking about course offerings, particularly advanced coursework or career and technical options, as well as how the school supports students who may arrive below grade level. The universal free lunch qualification suggests that the school has experience with supporting students from low-income households, and that is a common reality the staff works with daily.
Overall, Cross County High A New Tech School offers a small, consolidated secondary setting in a rural, economically challenged community. Its academic results are mixed, with stronger math performance than English language arts in the middle grades, and it holds a leading position within a very small county. The New Tech model and charter status may appeal to families who want a project-based approach, but the thin data on graduation rates, discipline, and course access means a thorough conversation with the school is warranted before making a decision.
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