Can I use Baxter County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Baxter County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Baxter County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Baxter County?

Start with the 11 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Baxter County Schools & Education

Name: Baxter County, Arkansas Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Baxter County, Arkansas

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

90.2%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.2%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,857

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,160

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#49

of 75 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Baxter County

Measured School Summary

Despite a lower school score of 33/100, Baxter County maintains a strong graduation rate of 90.2%, suggesting effective student support systems.

Funding Context

At $5,857 per pupil, Baxter County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 14% below the Arkansas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Baxter County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

11 public schools and 4 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

33/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #49 of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data.

Completion

90.2%

0.1 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,857

$303 below the state average

School coverage

4 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Baxter County has 11 public schools across 4 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Baxter County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Baxter County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#49

of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,914 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 2Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary and high visible

728 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

NORFORK SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary and high visible

470 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

ASU - MOUNTAIN HOME CAREER CENTER

High school only in this slice

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 6 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Baxter County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Baxter County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Baxter County, Arkansas

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Diverse Range of Educational Options

Baxter County features 11 public schools across 4 districts, supporting a total of 5,112 students. The landscape includes 5 elementary and 5 high schools, offering a broad range of options from early childhood through secondary graduation.

Mountain Home Dominates the Landscape

The Mountain Home School District is the county's heavy hitter, educating 3,914 students, which is over 75% of the county's total enrollment. The county also hosts 2 charter schools, representing 18.2% of the local educational facilities.

Mix of Major Academies and Rural Schools

Schools range from rural outposts to large town campuses, with an average enrollment of 511 students. The Mountain Home High Career Academics is the largest site with 1,518 students, while Norfork and Cotter districts offer much smaller, intimate school environments.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Baxter County

Reported Enrollment

5,112

11 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

18% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary5

Middle1

High5

Other0

4 School Districts in Baxter County

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

728 students

NORFORK SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

470 students

ASU - MOUNTAIN HOME CAREER CENTER

1 school

0 students

11 Public Schools in Baxter County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 11 of 11 matching schools

Public schools in Baxter County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
MTN HOME HIGH CAREER ACADEMICS	Profile	MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Town: Remote	8–12	Charter	1,518
HACKLER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL	Record	MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Rural: Fringe	3–5	Primary	830
PINKSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Town: Remote	6–7	Middle	624
NELSON WILKS HERRON ELEMENTARY	Record	MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Town: Remote	1–2	Primary	552
AMANDA GIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT	COTTER, 72626Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	397
MOUNTAIN HOME KINDERGARTEN	Record	MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Town: Remote	PK–KG	Primary	337
COTTER HIGH SCHOOL	Record	COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT	COTTER, 72626Rural: Distant	7–12	High	331
ARRIE GOFORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	NORFORK SCHOOL DISTRICT	NORFORK, 72658Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	253
NORFORK HIGH SCHOOL	Record	NORFORK SCHOOL DISTRICT	NORFORK, 72658Rural: Distant	7–12	High	217
GUY BERRY COLLEGE AND CAREER ACADEMY	Record	MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Town: Remote	6–12	Charter	53
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-MOUNTAIN HOME CAREER CENTER	Record	ASU - MOUNTAIN HOME CAREER CENTER	MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653Rural: Fringe	9–12	Vocational	0

MTN HOME HIGH CAREER ACADEMICS

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Town: Remote

Profile8–12Charter1,518 students

HACKLER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Rural: Fringe

Record3–5Primary830 students

PINKSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Town: Remote

Record6–7Middle624 students

NELSON WILKS HERRON ELEMENTARY

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Town: Remote

Record1–2Primary552 students

AMANDA GIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

COTTER, 72626 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary397 students

MOUNTAIN HOME KINDERGARTEN

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–KGPrimary337 students

COTTER HIGH SCHOOL

COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

COTTER, 72626 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High331 students

ARRIE GOFORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NORFORK SCHOOL DISTRICT

NORFORK, 72658 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary253 students

NORFORK HIGH SCHOOL

NORFORK SCHOOL DISTRICT

NORFORK, 72658 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High217 students

GUY BERRY COLLEGE AND CAREER ACADEMY

MOUNTAIN HOME SCHOOL DISTRICT

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Town: Remote

Record6–12Charter53 students

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-MOUNTAIN HOME CAREER CENTER

ASU - MOUNTAIN HOME CAREER CENTER

MOUNTAIN HOME, 72653 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12Vocational0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,857

State avg $6,160

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Baxter County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Arkansas counties have the highest graduation rates?

Newton County (96.3%), Cleveland County (96.1%), and Conway County (95.8%) currently lead Arkansas among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Arkansas?

Across Arkansas counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,160. The highest current county values are Dallas County ($9,545), Stone County ($7,285), and Woodruff County ($7,079). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Baxter County?

Baxter County has a school score of 33/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Baxter County?

The high school graduation rate in Baxter County is 90.2%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Baxter County spend per student?

Baxter County spends $5,857 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Baxter County, Arkansas — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Baxter County, Arkansas?

What are the major school districts in Baxter County, Arkansas?

What is the school experience like in Baxter County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Independence County

Arkansas

0 pts

33/100

School score

Greene County

Arkansas

-0 pts

33/100

School score

Montgomery County

Arkansas

+1 pts

33/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

Explore more data for Baxter County

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Rate Income Health Disaster Risk Water Quality Weather County Score