Clarksdale Municipal School District

Clarksdale Municipal School District is a small, mostly urban Mississippi district serving about 1,857 students across 7 schools, including three PK–4 elementary schools, two middle-level schools, one traditional high school, and one alternative 9th-grade academy. The district is ranked 125 out of 134 Mississippi districts with a 0-star overall rating, and nearly all students — about 98% — qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Within the district, the stronger performers stand out for different reasons. Kirkpatrick Health And Wellness Magnet School is the district's best-ranked elementary school, earning 1 star with chronic absenteeism at 23.6%, close to the state average. Oakhurst Intermediate School has the best attendance in the district at 21.3% and posts the strongest 5th-grade results. W.A. Higgins Academy Of Arts/International Studies showed the most dramatic improvement, nearly doubling its 7th-grade math proficiency from 25.6% to 50.6%. J.W. Stampley 9th Grade Academy posts surprisingly strong test scores in Biology (87.2%) and Algebra I (62.3%), yet only 7.1% of its students graduate, signaling a major 9th-grade transition problem. Clarksdale High School has a much better graduation rate of 84.6%, but suffers from 57.1% chronic absenteeism — the highest in the district.

Chronic absenteeism is the clearest differentiator across the district. The two schools with the best attendance — Kirkpatrick and Oakhurst — are also among the strongest academic performers, while the two with the worst attendance — Clarksdale High and Higgins — struggle the most. Math is a relative bright spot: 4th-grade math proficiency across the elementary schools ranges from 38.2% to 42.2%, close to the state average of 51.5%. English language arts remains the biggest weakness, with no school reaching even 40% proficiency in any ELA subject. For parents, the key takeaway is that while the district faces serious challenges around attendance and literacy, several schools — especially Kirkpatrick, Oakhurst, and Higgins — are improving and showing that progress is possible even in a high-poverty setting.