Summary:
Ridgeland School District 122 includes five schools serving 2,394 students: four K–5 elementary schools and one grades 6–8 middle school. In 2025–26, the elementary schools averaged 63% proficient in English language arts (ELA) and 46% in math, compared with 56% and 40% statewide. The results vary considerably by school and grade, however, especially in grade 5; the most important takeaway is that a favorable elementary-school average does not describe every school’s results.
Columbus Manor Elementary School is the strongest overall elementary performer: it led in all-grades ELA at 69%, math at 52%, and grade 5 science at 59%. Harnew Elementary School led grade 4 ELA and math, with 77% and 53%, respectively; George W Lieb Elementary School was nearly tied with Columbus in grade 5 science, at about 59%. At the other end, Ernest F Kolb Elementary School had the lowest all-grades ELA result, 50%—19 points below Columbus—and the lowest grade 5 math, 20%, 34 points below Columbus. Kolb’s all-grades math was stronger, at 42%, above the 40% state result. Simmons Middle School was above the state in ELA (66% versus 56%) but below it in math (38% versus 40%) and grade 8 science (39% versus 52%).
Recent changes are mixed: the elementary ELA average rose 2 points from 2024–25 to 2025–26, while its math average fell 4 points; the state math result rose 1 point. Columbus remains the current elementary leader despite declines of 7 points in ELA and 5 in math, while Simmons math rose 10 points but stayed below the state. SchoolDigger’s 2025–26 rankings place Columbus at the 69th percentile, Harnew and Lieb at the 56th, Simmons at the 49th, and Kolb at the 39th. For context, 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligible shares ranged from 57% at Columbus to 72% at Kolb; these figures describe the schools, but do not explain their results.
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