Best Public Schools in Prentiss, MS

Prentiss, Mississippi, is served by two public schools—J. E. Johnson Elementary School and Jeff Davis County Middle School—covering grades PK–8 within the Jeff Davis County School District, a rural district where nearly all students (about 99%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The district ranks 87th out of 134 in Mississippi with a 2-star rating, and chronic absenteeism at both schools (22.5% and 23.4%) is right in line with the state average of 23.9%, meaning attendance is not the main driver of lower test scores.

Jeff Davis County Middle School is the stronger of the two schools, ranking in the 39th percentile statewide (159 of 260) with a 2-star rating, compared to J. E. Johnson Elementary’s 21st percentile (298 of 377) and 1-star rating. The middle school shows a clear strength in math, with 40.6% average proficiency across grades 6–8, and its 7th grade math result of 56.5% nearly matches the state average. J. E. Johnson Elementary, while weaker overall, has a standout 5th grade science program: 64.3% proficiency this year, just 7 points below the state, and up from 58% last year. The elementary school also improved sharply in 3rd and 5th grade math year-over-year, but its performance is inconsistent, with 4th grade math falling to 29.1% and 5th grade ELA dropping from 50% to 38.1%.

The biggest opportunity for improvement lies in specific grade-level gaps: 6th grade math trails the state by 29.5 points (23.2% vs. 52.7%), and 4th grade ELA lags by nearly 18 points. Science is a relative strength at both schools, with the middle school’s 8th grade science at 51.7% (6 points below state) and the elementary’s 5th grade science closest to state averages. Because Prentiss has no high school in the city, students leave after 8th grade, making the middle school’s math gains in 7th and 8th grade particularly important for future success. Overall, both schools face challenges tied to concentrated poverty, but Jeff Davis County Middle School is the better-performing option, especially in math, while J. E. Johnson Elementary shows promise in science and selected grade-level improvements.