Best Public Schools in Philadelphia, MS

The city of Philadelphia, Mississippi is home to a diverse set of 7 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools. While the schools in the Neshoba County School District consistently perform well, the schools in the Philadelphia Public School District face significant challenges.

The standout schools in the area are Neshoba Central Middle School, which is ranked 11th out of 266 middle schools in Mississippi and has a 5-star rating, and Neshoba Central Elementary School, which is ranked 42nd out of 377 elementary schools in the state and has a 4-star rating. These schools have consistently high test scores, with over 80% of students proficient in math and over 55% proficient in English Language Arts. In contrast, the Philadelphia High School and Philadelphia Elementary School lag behind, ranking in the bottom quarter of the state.

Across the district, there are significant economic challenges, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 60.98% to 100%. Additionally, the chronic absenteeism rate is quite high at 23.9%, which could be a contributing factor to the academic struggles seen in some of the schools. While the data shows a clear divide in performance, it also suggests that with the right interventions and support, the underperforming schools have the potential to improve, particularly those with low student-teacher ratios like Bogue Chitto Elementary and Tucker Elementary.