Summary:
Itawamba County schools serve roughly 3,275 students across six schools in northeastern Mississippi, including three elementary campuses, a PK–8 attendance center, a dedicated high school, and two K–12 attendance centers. The district ranks 43rd out of 134 Mississippi districts (68th percentile, 3 stars), though individual school rankings range from the 28th to the 85th percentile. About 72.9% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism is generally near or below the state average of 23.9%.
The county's academic standout is Itawamba Agricultural High School, ranked 34th out of 224 Mississippi high schools (85th percentile, 4 stars), with strong End-of-Course results in Algebra I, Biology, and English II. Itawamba Attendance Center is a math powerhouse, beating state proficiency rates by 15–25 points across grades 3, 6, and 8. Mantachie Attendance Center leads the county with a 94.9% graduation rate and strong 5th-grade science, while Tremont Attendance Center shows solid elementary ELA but a sharp drop by 8th grade. Fairview Attendance Center, the smallest school with the highest poverty rate (85.8%), is rapidly improving, while Dorsey Attendance Center holds the county's lowest ranking (28th percentile) with very weak math scores despite the lowest absenteeism.
Math is the clearest separator between schools, and poverty does not automatically predict performance—Fairview outperforms Dorsey despite a higher poverty rate. Early grades are strong across the county, but middle-grade ELA scores fall sharply at several schools, suggesting a need for stronger intervention. Itawamba Agricultural High School presents an interesting disconnect: excellent academics but the county's highest chronic absenteeism (24.0%) and a graduation rate (88.2%) just below the state average. While the district is solid overall, targeted support at Dorsey and in middle-grade years would help close the gaps.
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