Kosciusko School District

The Kosciusko School District in central Mississippi serves approximately 1,973 students across five grade-banded schools: a PK–1 lower elementary, a 2–3 middle elementary, a 4–5 upper elementary, a 6–8 junior high, and a 9–12 senior high. The district is rated 3 stars and ranks 52nd out of 134 districts statewide, placing it in the top 40 percent of Mississippi districts. All five schools operate under high economic need, with free or reduced lunch rates ranging from roughly 77 percent at the secondary schools to nearly 87 percent at Kosciusko Middle Elementary.

Kosciusko Upper Elementary is the district's strongest school, with a state ranking that has improved for three straight years and 4th grade math proficiency of 63.6 percent in 2025–2026, well above the state's 51.5 percent. Kosciusko Junior High School is a math powerhouse, posting 100 percent Algebra I proficiency in 2024–2025 and 82.8 percent the following year, though its 6th and 7th grade ELA scores lag the state. Kosciusko Senior High School shows mixed results: its 88.9 percent graduation rate nearly matches the state average and Biology proficiency was excellent in 2024–2025, but scores fell sharply in 2025–2026 and chronic absenteeism is the district's highest at 26.4 percent. Kosciusko Lower Elementary has no test data because it serves PK–1, but its 13.3 percent chronic absenteeism rate is the best in the district. Kosciusko Middle Elementary's 3rd grade math proficiency dropped from 63.2 percent to 43.6 percent, one of the largest year-to-year swings in the district.

Overall, math is clearly a district strength while English Language Arts needs attention. Kosciusko Junior High School and Kosciusko Upper Elementary consistently beat state averages in math, but ELA results trail, especially at 6th and 7th grade and on the high school English II exam. Chronic absenteeism rises dramatically with grade level, from 13.3 percent at Kosciusko Lower Elementary to 26.4 percent at Kosciusko Senior High School, and may be holding back secondary performance. Families should know that year-to-year scores can swing sharply at individual schools, so it is worth looking at multi-year trends rather than a single year's results when comparing schools in this district.