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Elementary Schools in Columbus Municipal School District

At a glance

DistrictColumbus Municipal School District123^rd of 133 Mississippi districtsFull district overview →

Schools

1,318

Students

Top rankedCook Elementary School329^th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools

Compare Mississippi districts →See the top-ranked Mississippi schools →

Summary:

The Columbus Municipal School District is home to 5 elementary schools serving grades PK-5, with a combined enrollment of 1,549 students, all operating in a high-poverty context where free/reduced lunch eligibility ranges from 99.59% to 100%. The district ranks in the 9th percentile statewide (122 out of 134 districts) and holds a 0-star rating, while every school in this area consistently trails Mississippi state averages in English Language Arts and math proficiency.

Among the five schools, Cook Elementary School is the largest (415 students) and posted the strongest 2025-2026 test results, with a 29.0% average across four ELA and math tests, despite its state rank slipping to the 13th percentile. Sale Elementary School stands out for the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district (10.9% vs. 28.4% district average) and strong 5th grade science proficiency at 62.5%, though its 2025-2026 rank fell to the 11th percentile. Franklin Academy shows the highest academic ceiling despite a 44.6% chronic absenteeism rate, matching or exceeding state averages in 5th grade science (67.5%) and topping the district in 4th grade math (51.7%), but no 2025-2026 data is available. In contrast, Stokes Beard Elementary School has the lowest current rank (6th percentile) and the weakest 4th grade ELA score (15.5%), while Fairview Elementary School shows the sharpest decline, falling from a 33rd percentile rank in 2023-2024 to the 10th percentile in 2025-2026 after its 4th grade math proficiency dropped from 50.0% to 23.5%.

Key takeaways for parents: chronic absenteeism does not neatly predict achievement—Franklin Academy had the worst attendance yet strong science scores, while Sale balanced good attendance with above-average performance. 5th grade science is a relative district strength, with Franklin and Sale scoring near or above the state average, but this has not lifted overall school ratings. With small enrollments (231 to 415 students), test results can swing dramatically year to year, so it is wise to look at multi-year trends rather than a single snapshot. Overall, the entire district is under significant academic pressure, but Cook and Sale currently offer the most consistent bright spots, while Stokes Beard and Fairview warrant closer monitoring.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)		MAAP Mathematics (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	Total
Stokes Beard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	311 Martin Luther King Dr	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7270	369	26	14.4	100.0%	6 (1.6%)	353 (95.7%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	10.9	355^th of 377 public elementary schools	5.8%		17.8	338^th of 383 public elementary schools	11.7%	17	28.8	15.5	25.7	22.4	$11,893
Cook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2217 7th Street N	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7180	415	29	14.2	99.8%	18 (4.3%)	358 (86.3%)	25 (6.0%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	16	329^th of 377 public elementary schools	12.7%		23	313^th of 383 public elementary schools	18.3%	16	31.9	32.6	24.5	27.0	$12,452
Fairview Elementary School	Public	K-4	225 Airline Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7140	244	16	15.4	99.6%	2 (0.8%)	239 (98.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	13.3	339^th of 377 public elementary schools	10.1%		18.9	332^nd of 383 public elementary schools	13.3%	7	32.4	20.6	27.0	23.5	$12,216
Sale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	520 Warpath Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7260	290	18	16.4	100.0%	7 (2.4%)	271 (93.4%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	13.7	335^th of 377 public elementary schools	11.1%		27.6	287^th of 383 public elementary schools	25.1%	48	23.0	17.8	29.2	33.4	$12,394

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science	1.02 mi	1
Lowndes County School District	2.38 mi	11	53^rd
West Point Consolidated School District	14.57 mi	8	73^rd
West Point School District	14.57 mi	8
Monroe County School District	16.74 mi	5

See the top MS Mississippi districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.