Summary:
The East Tallahatchie School District in rural Mississippi serves 797 students across three schools — Charleston Elementary School (PK–4), Charleston Middle School (5–8), and Charleston High School (9–12) — and ranks 111 out of 134 Mississippi districts with a 1-star rating. All three schools serve an almost universally economically disadvantaged population, with free/reduced lunch eligibility between 98.56% and 99.05%.
Charleston High School is the district's clear standout. In 2025–2026, it ranked 113 out of 224 Mississippi high schools (50th percentile, 3 stars), a dramatic turnaround from the prior year's 5th-percentile ranking. It posted a remarkable 91.8% Algebra I proficiency rate — far above the state average of 66.0% — and a 60.0% Biology proficiency rate near the state's 63.1%. Its graduation rate of 88.3% is close to the state's 89.2%. However, English II proficiency remains weak at 27.3% versus 49.3% statewide. By comparison, Charleston Elementary School ranks 357 out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools (5th percentile, 0 stars), with MAAP proficiency well below state averages in every subject. Charleston Middle School ranks 229 out of 260 Mississippi middle schools (12th percentile, 1 star), where 8th grade ELA proficiency is just 9.8% compared to the state's 40.9%.
Chronic absenteeism is a critical issue in the secondary schools: 43.2% of middle school students and 47.6% of high school students are chronically absent — nearly double the state average of 23.9% — while the elementary school matches the state average at 23.8%. Literacy is the district's biggest academic weakness, with ELA proficiency in every grade below state averages. There are also large year-to-year score swings: the high school's Algebra I jumped from 64.1% to 91.8% and Biology from 18.8% to 60.0% in one year, indicating volatile small-cohort results. The district's low overall ranking masks the high school's genuine bright spot, and the greatest opportunities for improvement lie in early literacy, middle school reading, and reducing chronic absenteeism.
Thank you for your feedback!