Best Public Schools in Meridian, MS

Summary:

The city of Meridian, Mississippi is home to 18 schools, including 10 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 4 high schools, spread across two school districts - Meridian Public Schools and Lauderdale County School District. While the Lauderdale County School District is ranked 21st out of 130 districts in the state with a 4-star rating, the Meridian Public Schools district is ranked 122nd and has a 0-star rating, indicating a stark contrast in academic performance between the two districts.

Within this landscape, a few schools stand out as exceptional performers. Clarkdale Elementary School is ranked 32nd out of 383 elementary schools in the state and has a 5-star rating, with 65-85% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Similarly, Clarkdale High School is ranked 4th out of 232 high schools in the state and has a 5-star rating, with very high proficiency rates on end-of-course exams. Another high-performing school is Northeast Lauderdale High School, which is ranked 51st out of 232 high schools and has a 4-star rating.

However, the data also reveals significant challenges across the city's schools, with high chronic absenteeism rates of 23.9% and widespread socioeconomic challenges, as evidenced by the high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. These factors likely contribute to the academic struggles of many schools, particularly those in the Meridian Public Schools district, where proficiency rates on state assessments are well below the state average. Addressing these systemic inequities and barriers to student success will be crucial for improving educational outcomes across Meridian.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAAP English Language Arts (2025)						MAAP Mathematics (2025)						MAAP Algebra I (2025)	MAAP English II (2025)	MAAP Science (2025)		MAAP Biology (2025)	MAAP U.S. History1 (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 End of Course	Total
Northeast High School	Public	9-12	702 Briarwood Road	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 679-8523	608	49	12.2	63.8%	205 (33.7%)	347 (57.1%)	28 (4.6%)	14 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.1%)	77	51^st of 232 public high schools	78.0%		50.3	123^rd of 228 public high schools	46.1%	72													75.5	64.1			63.5	66.7	$12,178
Southeast Lauderdale High School	Public	9-12	2362 Longcreek Raod	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 483-5501	367	33	11.0	58.3%	209 (56.9%)	134 (36.5%)	17 (4.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	48.6	121^st of 232 public high schools	47.8%		61	93^rd of 228 public high schools	59.2%	28													59.5	44.8			72.4	74.4	$13,596
Northeast Middle School	Public	5-8	7763 Highway 39 North	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 483-3532	520	44	11.9	71.5%	149 (28.7%)	306 (58.8%)	24 (4.6%)	11 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (5.4%)	46.8	141^st of 266 public middle schools	47.0%		37.8	164^th of 264 public middle schools	37.9%	23			53.8	40.0	32.5	36.3			34.4	40.4	50.4	44.0			64.8	55.6			$11,175
Northeast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	6750 Newell Road	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 485-4882	730	56	13.1	77.8%	209 (28.6%)	443 (60.7%)	37 (5.1%)	12 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	27 (3.7%)	40.3	230^th of 383 public elementary schools	39.9%		42.4	231^st of 390 public elementary schools	40.8%	1	38.7	52.1					32.0	55.0											$11,676
Southeast Middle School	Public	5-8	2535 Old Highway 19 S.E.	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 485-5751	371	30	12.4	71.2%	217 (58.5%)	119 (32.1%)	16 (4.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.6%)	84	26^th of 266 public middle schools	90.2%		82.4	37^th of 264 public middle schools	86.0%	11			55.0	52.1	57.4	53.6			50.7	59.5	78.9	66.7			80.3	79.0			$11,474
West Lauderdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	10350 Highway 495	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 737-2279	761	44	17.2	46.1%	580 (76.2%)	119 (15.6%)	32 (4.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.4%)	73.3	92^nd of 383 public elementary schools	76.0%		73	97^th of 390 public elementary schools	75.1%	5	65.5	67.8					53.9	64.3											$9,508
Clarkdale High School	Public	7-12	7000 Highway 145	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 693-4463	422	38	11.1	41.9%	314 (74.4%)	43 (10.2%)	13 (3.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.6%)	95.5	4^th of 232 public high schools	98.3%		82.8	23^rd of 228 public high schools	89.9%	19					46.5	67.3					67.4	72.4	83.6	89.4		88.0	84.0	67.2	$13,938
Clarkdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7000 Highway 145	Meridian	39031	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 693-4463	527	36	14.5	45.4%	437 (82.9%)	49 (9.3%)	7 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.9%)	87.5	32^nd of 383 public elementary schools	91.6%		88.1	31^st of 390 public elementary schools	92.1%	1	66.1	77.8	84.8	63.7			65.6	76.2	75.7	66.7					83.3				$9,864
Southeast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2362 A Long Creek Road	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 486-2500	562	34	16.7	69.4%	363 (64.6%)	166 (29.5%)	14 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.2%)	44.8	212^th of 383 public elementary schools	44.6%		52.8	186^th of 390 public elementary schools	52.3%	26	42.5	54.5					32.1	57.4											$9,391
Crestwood Elementary	Public	K-5	730 Crestwood Dr	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4971	368	22	16.3	99.2%	9 (2.4%)	328 (89.1%)	21 (5.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	10.4	359^th of 383 public elementary schools	6.3%		16.7	339^th of 390 public elementary schools	13.1%	20	22.6	21.0	34.9				7.8	7.1	23.8						47.6				$13,837
Magnolia Middle School	Public	6-8	1350 24th Street	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4060	440	34	12.9	100.0%	12 (2.7%)	404 (91.8%)	14 (3.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	15.5	235^th of 266 public middle schools	11.7%		19.6	215^th of 264 public middle schools	18.6%	20				27.1	19.8	22.2				36.9	26.9	19.0				30.4			$13,645
Meridian High School	Public	9-12	2320 32nd Street	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 482-3191	1,253	114	11.0	99.8%	26 (2.1%)	1,157 (92.3%)	56 (4.5%)	4 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.6%)	7.5	220^th of 232 public high schools	5.2%		7.6	218^th of 228 public high schools	4.4%	2													30.9	25.6			23.3	40.3	$18,658
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	4400 32nd Street	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4094	484	39	12.5	100.0%	13 (2.7%)	437 (90.3%)	19 (3.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.7%)	21.9	212^th of 266 public middle schools	20.3%		15.4	232^nd of 264 public middle schools	12.1%	20				31.5	25.6	26.9				24.6	26.8	27.3				41.2			$13,317
Parkview Elementary	Public	K-5	1225 26th St	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4990	364	29	12.6	100.0%	2 (0.5%)	347 (95.3%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	16.8	339^th of 383 public elementary schools	11.5%		12.9	353^rd of 390 public elementary schools	9.5%	14	28.3	27.5	37.1				20.0	19.6	31.5						53.7				$14,081
Poplar Springs Elementary	Public	K-5	4101 27th Ave	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4450	405	28	14.5	100.0%	32 (7.9%)	339 (83.7%)	14 (3.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.4%)	31.6	269^th of 383 public elementary schools	29.8%		41.5	238^th of 390 public elementary schools	39.0%	31	32.2	51.8	50.8				40.6	44.6	12.6						50.8				$14,692
West Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	4100 32nd St	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4472	423	27	15.6	100.0%	4 (0.9%)	385 (91.0%)	16 (3.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	27.3	290^th of 383 public elementary schools	24.3%		28.3	287^th of 390 public elementary schools	26.4%	3	40.3	45.4	48.7				21.0	34.9	25.0						50.0				$13,480
Marion Park Complex	Public, Alternative	K-12	2815 25th St.	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 484-5166	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Ross Collins Vocational Center	Public	9-12	2640 24th Ave	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 483-3331	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Carver Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 44th Ave	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(601) 484-4482	506	31	16.3	100.0%	8 (1.6%)	462 (91.3%)	22 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	5.4	379^th of 383 public elementary schools	1.0%		10.3	368^th of 390 public elementary schools	5.6%	11	16.2	25.0	25.0				7.6	13.2	12.0						35.8				$6,880

Cities Near Meridian

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Collinsville	12.9 mi	2	11^th
Enterprise	15.36 mi	3	6^th
Quitman	22.16 mi	6	149^th
Decatur	23.55 mi	4	31^st
Newton	26.89 mi	4	170^th

See the top MS Mississippi cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.