Best Public Schools in Jackson, MS

The city of Jackson, Mississippi is home to 54 public schools serving students from elementary through high school, all part of the Jackson Public School District. While the district as a whole is underperforming, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, there are several standout schools that demonstrate the potential for academic excellence within the system.

Among the highest-performing schools in the district are McWillie Elementary School, ranked 25th out of 383 elementary schools in the state with a 5-star rating, and Barack H. Obama Elementary School, ranked 10th and also with a 5-star rating. These schools boast exceptional test scores, with 80-90% of students proficient or better in core subjects. At the middle school level, Northwest Middle School and Bailey Middle Apac School stand out, ranking 20th and 12th in the state respectively, with similarly high proficiency rates.

However, the data also reveals significant disparities in academic performance across the district. While the high-performing schools demonstrate that students in Jackson are capable of exceptional achievement, many other schools struggle, with single-digit proficiency rates on state assessments. Chronic absenteeism is a persistent challenge, and all schools in the district serve populations with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high levels of economic disadvantage. Addressing these systemic inequities will be crucial to raising overall student outcomes in the Jackson Public School District.