Best Public Schools in Lake, MS

Lake, Mississippi, is served by a small public school system of three schools within the Scott County School District, enrolling a combined 801 students: Lake Elementary School (pre-kindergarten through grade 4, 333 students), Lake Middle School (grades 5–8, 237 students), and Lake High School (grades 9–12, 231 students). The district ranks 54th out of 134 districts in Mississippi (60th percentile, 3 stars), yet all three Lake schools currently hold 4-star ratings while serving student populations where roughly 99% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Lake Elementary School is the standout, ranking 41st out of 377 elementary schools (89th percentile) in the 2025–2026 school year after climbing from 111th just two years earlier. It exceeds state proficiency averages by double digits in every tested subject. Lake Middle School ranks 67th out of 260 middle schools (74th percentile), with exceptional mathematics and science results — including 100% proficiency in Algebra I and a 22.8-point advantage over the state in 8th grade math — but its 5th and 6th grade English Language Arts scores trail state averages, signaling a need for earlier literacy support. Lake High School made the largest one-year jump, moving from the 54th to the 76th percentile (54th out of 224), with solid end-of-course scores. However, its 54.8% chronic absenteeism rate is more than double the state rate, and its 80.9% graduation rate falls 8.3 points below the statewide average.

Chronic absenteeism escalates sharply by grade level: 14.8% at the elementary school (well under the 23.9% state rate), 25.8% at the middle school, and 54.8% at the high school, where it is almost certainly linked to the below-average graduation rate. All three schools outperform the district's overall 3-star standing, and both the elementary and high school show strong upward ranking momentum. Student-teacher ratios rise with grade level, from 15.8 at Lake Elementary to 20.8 at Lake High School, and lowering that ratio at the high school might help re-engage students. These are high-poverty schools achieving strong results, proving that demographics do not have to dictate academic outcomes.