Schools in Houston, MS

Houston, Mississippi is served by four public schools within the Chickasaw County School District, which together educate roughly 1,740 students across grades PK–12. The district holds a 3-star rating and ranks 51st out of 134 districts statewide, placing it in the 62nd percentile. The schools include Houston Lower Elementary School (PK–2, 472 students), Houston Upper Elementary (3–5, 387 students), Houston Middle School (6–8, 352 students), and Houston High School (9–12, 529 students). Most families qualify for free or reduced lunch, with rates ranging from 64.7% at the high school to 79.9% at the lower elementary.

Houston High School is the district's biggest bright spot, improving its statewide ranking from the 58th percentile to the 68th percentile in the most recent year. Its graduation rate of 92.9% exceeds both district and state averages, and its Algebra I, Biology, and English II end-of-course scores all beat the state. Houston Upper Elementary also shines, particularly in 5th grade, where 88.2% of students scored proficient in science, while 5th grade math and ELA also topped state averages. However, Houston Middle School is a growing concern; its ranking has slipped three years in a row to the 46th percentile, and 7th and 8th grade ELA proficiency sits at roughly 27–29%, well below state figures.

The most striking trend is chronic absenteeism, which rises sharply with grade level: just 11.5% at both elementary schools, 28.5% at the middle school, and a troubling 43.5% at the high school. This means nearly one in two high school students is chronically absent, a red flag that could undermine the school's recent academic gains. Meanwhile, Houston Lower Elementary School deserves credit for maintaining strong attendance despite having the highest poverty rate in the district. Overall, the district looks stable on the surface, but parents should watch the middle school closely. The path forward is clear: if the district can improve attendance, particularly at the middle and high school levels, the strong elementary foundation and recent high school improvements suggest even better outcomes are possible.