Summary:
Crystal Springs, Mississippi, has three public schools — Crystal Springs Elementary, Crystal Springs Middle School, and Crystal Springs High School — serving about 1,244 students in grades K-12 through the Copiah County School District. All three schools serve student bodies that are nearly 100% economically disadvantaged, making this a consistently high-poverty community.
Crystal Springs Elementary is the clear standout. It is the only school in the city with a 2-star rating, ranked in the top 40% of Mississippi elementary schools, and it has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 19.8%. It also posts the strongest test results, with 4th grade math proficiency (52.9%) above the state average. Crystal Springs High School is the most consistent improver, climbing from the 15th to the 24th percentile over three years, with a graduation rate of 88.8% that nearly matches the state. However, it struggles with chronic absenteeism at 35.2%, the highest in the district. Crystal Springs Middle School is the greatest concern: its state rank fell back to the 18th percentile, and student performance drops steadily from 5th through 8th grade in every subject.
A few patterns stand out for parents. Chronic absenteeism rises sharply by grade level — from 19.8% in elementary to 35.2% in high school. The middle school loses ground academically as students get older, especially in math and science. The high school graduates most students, but many leave without reaching proficiency in core subjects like English II and Biology. In short, the elementary school shows what is possible despite high poverty, the high school is trending in the right direction, and the middle school is the most urgent point of intervention.
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