Summary:
The Calhoun County School District in rural Mississippi includes 2 elementary schools—Bruce Elementary and Calhoun City Elementary—both serving grades PK–4 with a combined enrollment of 551 students, and the district ranks 57th out of 134 districts in the state.
Bruce Elementary is the clear academic leader in the district. It ranks 193rd out of 377 Mississippi schools for 2025–2026, well ahead of Calhoun City Elementary, which ranks 236th. Bruce posts the strongest test scores, particularly in 4th grade math, where an impressive 67.4% of students are proficient—beating the state average by nearly 16 points and outperforming Calhoun City by about 19 points. Bruce also has lower chronic absenteeism (10.1% vs. 13.6%) and a lower poverty rate, with 74.05% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch compared to 91.49% at Calhoun City. However, Calhoun City Elementary does offer a slightly lower student–teacher ratio (12.2 vs. 13.1), which may benefit students despite the higher poverty challenges.
Both schools saw their state rankings slip in the latest year, and 3rd grade math is a major concern across the district—proficiency fell sharply at both schools and now sits well below the state average of 48.8%. English Language Arts is also a challenge at Calhoun City Elementary, where only 31.4% of 3rd graders are proficient in reading compared to 44.2% at Bruce Elementary. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism at both schools is far below the state average of 23.9%, indicating strong attendance and consistent learning environments. Because these are small schools, proficiency percentages can swing year to year with just a few students; the standout 4th grade math results at Bruce suggest a strong program worth examining, while the district as a whole may want to target 3rd grade math intervention as a priority.
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