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

No. Use the Independence 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 Independence 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 Independence County?

Start with the 14 listed public schools and 5 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Independence County Schools & Education

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

Independence 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

91.5%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.5%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,372

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,160

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#50

of 75 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Independence County

Measured School Summary

Despite a lower school score of 33/100, Independence County maintains a strong graduation rate of 91.5%, suggesting effective student support systems.

Funding Context

At $5,372 per pupil, Independence 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 exceeds the state average by 1.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Independence 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

14 public schools and 5 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 #50 of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data.

Completion

91.5%

1.2 pts above the state average

Funding context

$5,372

$788 below the state average

School coverage

5 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

Independence County has 14 public schools across 5 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 Independence 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.

Choice-program county

Independence County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.

State position

#50

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.

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,469 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

2,234 students

Elementary 1Middle 2High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary and high visible

641 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

MIDLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary and high visible

511 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 5 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 Independence County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Independence 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 Independence 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.

Traditional and Charter School Mix

Independence County supports 14 public schools across five districts, serving a total of 6,855 students. The county features a diverse infrastructure of six elementary, three middle, and five high schools.

Batesville’s Innovative Charter Options

The Batesville School District is the largest, educating 3,469 students and utilizing four charter schools—making up nearly 29% of the county's total schools. Southside School District also serves a significant population with 2,234 students.

A Diverse Array of School Settings

Thirteen of the county's 14 schools are in rural settings, yet average school sizes remain robust at 527 students. Batesville High School is the largest campus with 973 students, providing a comprehensive secondary experience.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Independence County

Reported Enrollment

6,855

14 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

29% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6

Middle3

High5

Other0

5 School Districts in Independence County

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

4 schools

2,234 students

CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

641 students

MIDLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

511 students

UACCB TECHNICAL CENTER

1 school

0 students

14 Public Schools in Independence 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

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Showing 14 of 14 matching schools

Public schools in Independence County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
BATESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	9–12	Charter	973
EAGLE MOUNTAIN MAGNET SCHOOL	Record	BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	903
SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Distant	PK–3	Primary	854
BATESVILLE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CHARTER	Record	BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	6–8	Charter	772
WEST MAGNET SCHOOL	Record	BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	549
SOUTHSIDE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	7–9	Charter	481
SOUTHSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	4–6	Middle	453
SOUTHSIDE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL	Record	SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT	BATESVILLE, 72501Rural: Fringe	10–12	Charter	446
CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL	Record	CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT	NEWARK, 72562Rural: Distant	6–12	High	368
MIDLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MIDLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT	FLORAL, 72534Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	277
NEWARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT	NEWARK, 72562Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	273
SULPHUR ROCK MAGNET SCHOOL	Record	BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT	SULPHUR ROCK, 72579Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	272
MIDLAND HIGH SCHOOL	Record	MIDLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT	PLEASANT PLAINS, 72568Rural: Remote	7–12	High	234
UACCB TECHNICAL CENTER	Record	UACCB TECHNICAL CENTER	Batesville, 72501Town: Remote	9–12	Vocational	0

BATESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12Charter973 students

EAGLE MOUNTAIN MAGNET SCHOOL

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary903 students

SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–3Primary854 students

BATESVILLE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CHARTER

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Charter772 students

WEST MAGNET SCHOOL

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary549 students

SOUTHSIDE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

Record7–9Charter481 students

SOUTHSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

Record4–6Middle453 students

SOUTHSIDE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL

SOUTHSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

BATESVILLE, 72501 / Rural: Fringe

Record10–12Charter446 students

CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

NEWARK, 72562 / Rural: Distant

Record6–12High368 students

MIDLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MIDLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

FLORAL, 72534 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary277 students

NEWARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

NEWARK, 72562 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary273 students

SULPHUR ROCK MAGNET SCHOOL

BATESVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

SULPHUR ROCK, 72579 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary272 students

MIDLAND HIGH SCHOOL

MIDLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

PLEASANT PLAINS, 72568 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High234 students

UACCB TECHNICAL CENTER

Batesville, 72501 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Vocational0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,372

State avg $6,160

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Independence 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 Independence County?

Independence 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 Independence County?

The high school graduation rate in Independence County is 91.5%, 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 Independence County spend per student?

Independence County spends $5,372 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 Independence County, Arkansas — FAQ

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

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

What is the school experience like in Independence County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Baxter 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.

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