Summary:
Zip code 35592 is home to just one elementary school, Vernon Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 3 and enrolls 277 students in the Lamar County district.
For parents in this area, the standout finding is that Vernon Elementary School is a high-performing school that significantly outpaces state averages in core subjects, despite serving a student body where nearly 58.5% qualify for free or reduced lunch. In the most recent school year, 69.09% of 3rd graders were proficient in math, compared to the state average of 44.89%, and 80% were proficient in English, versus the state's 64.75%. The school also outperforms its own district in math by over 5 percentage points and nearly matches the district's strong English scores. This academic success is even more notable given that the school's chronic absenteeism rate (13.9%) is slightly above the state average (12.0%) but well below the district's rate (18.4%). The student-teacher ratio is a favorable 14.1:1, which may contribute to the school's ability to support its students effectively.
One trend worth monitoring is a year-over-year decline in test scores. From the 2024-2025 to the 2025-2026 school year, math proficiency dropped from 82.54% to 69.09%, and English proficiency fell from 84.13% to 80%. While these are still strong results, the decline could reflect a change in testing, curriculum, or a different cohort of students. Additionally, the only available per-student spending figure is from 2018-2019 ($9,891), making it difficult to assess current financial efficiency. Overall, Vernon Elementary School is a resilient, high-achieving school that is clearly a model of success within the Lamar County district, though parents should keep an eye on the recent score trends and attendance rates.
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