Summary:
Benton County School District is served by a single elementary school, Ashland Elementary School, which enrolls 262 students in grades K–6 in the small, rural community of Ashland, Mississippi. Because this is the district’s only elementary school, its performance represents the entire elementary picture for Benton County School District.
Ashland Elementary has several bright spots. The school improved its state ranking from the 22nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 32nd percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 2-star rating. Fourth grade math jumped an impressive 45.5 points to 69.2% proficiency in 2025-2026, well above the state average of 51.5%. Fifth grade science also stands out at 64.8% proficiency, nearly matching the state’s 71.5%. Attendance is a relative strength too: chronic absenteeism is 17.7%, lower than both the district’s 22.3% and the state’s 23.9%.
However, the school struggles in several areas. Fifth grade math is the biggest concern, with just 13.5% proficiency versus the state’s 49.6%, and the same grade shows a 51-point gap between science (64.8%) and math (13.5%). Third and sixth grade math also fall far below state averages. Across all grade levels and subjects, only a handful of scores meet or exceed state levels. Year-to-year swings are dramatic—for example, fourth grade math rose from 23.7% to 69.2% in one year, while third grade math fell from 55.0% to 31.3%. These fluctuations suggest small class sizes can cause big changes. Overall, Ashland Elementary serves a very high-poverty population (93.89% free/reduced lunch) and shows encouraging improvement, but mathematics remains its clearest priority for growth.
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