About Howard County
Howard County is served by three public K–12 districts—Nashville, Dierks, and Mineral Springs—each rooted in its community and aligned with the De Queen–Mena Education Service Cooperative. Families in and around the county may also look to the nearby Umpire Campus of the Cossatot River School District, particularly in the county’s western rural area, as well as private-school options such as Nashville Christian Academy and Umpire Christian School. Together these schools help support family life, workforce pipelines, and long-term educational opportunity. Enrollment and school-level figures below come from the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) My School Info for the 2025–2026 reporting year; numbers change as new reports are published.
Each district operates its own schools, school board, and central office. The list below includes the three Howard County public districts as well as the nearby Umpire Campus of the Cossatot River School District. Use the links for calendars, enrollment, athletics, and board meetings.
Dierks School District serves Howard County families with a K–6 elementary school and a combined junior high and high school for grades 7–12.
Schools
The county’s largest district is headquartered in Nashville and serves students in grades K–12 across four campuses, from early primary grades through high school graduation.
Schools
Based in Mineral Springs, this district runs an elementary school and a high school serving grades 7–12 for families across the southern part of the county and nearby rural areas.
Schools
Located in Umpire, this K–12 campus is part of the Cossatot River School District and can be relevant for families living in the county’s western rural area. The campus serves students across all grade levels in a single-school setting with a small enrollment and a strong community-centered identity.
Schools
Nashville Christian Academy is a private Christian school in Nashville serving students from early childhood through high school. It offers a college-preparatory setting with faith-based instruction, extracurricular activities, and a local option for families seeking private education within Howard County.
Nashville Christian Academy website
Umpire Christian School is a small private school option in nearby Umpire that may be relevant for families in the western part of the county. Its scale and setting make it a distinctly local option for households seeking faith-based education outside the public school system.
UA Cossatot (University of Arkansas Cossatot) is a two-year college in the UA System with a Nashville campus on Highway 371. It offers technical programs, health professions, general education, adult basic education, and testing services that complement the county’s K–12 schools.
Employers and families often coordinate with both local districts and UA Cossatot for internships, industry credentials, and continuing education. See programs by campus for Nashville offerings.