Summary:
Lawrence County School District in Mississippi serves 3 elementary schools — Monticello Elementary, Topeka - Tilton School, and New Hebron School — with a combined enrollment of 954 students in grades K–5 and K–8. The district ranks 72 out of 134 Mississippi districts, placing it in the middle of the state, but that average hides dramatic differences among its schools.
Topeka - Tilton School is the clear academic standout, ranking in the 73rd percentile statewide (4 stars) with an average proficiency of 50.4%. It beats the state average in several elementary grades, including 3rd grade ELA (67.9% vs. 48.5% state) and 4th grade math (70.9% vs. 51.5% state). New Hebron School is remarkable for beating expectations: despite having the highest poverty rate in the district (96.91% free/reduced lunch), it ranks in the 48th percentile with 40.0% average proficiency — well above Monticello. New Hebron also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (12.4% vs. the district's 30.4%) and the smallest class sizes (10.6-to-1). Monticello Elementary is the biggest concern, ranking in the 7th percentile (0 stars) with just 29.2% average proficiency. Its math scores are alarmingly low, with 3rd grade math at 11.7% proficiency versus the state's 48.8%.
The gap between the district's best and worst school is enormous: Topeka ranks in the 73rd percentile while Monticello ranks in the 7th — a 66-point swing within one small district. Poverty alone does not explain this, since Monticello actually has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate yet the lowest achievement. Both K–8 schools show a sharp decline in the middle grades — Topeka's 4th grade math is 70.9% proficient, but its 8th grade math falls to 7.1%, and New Hebron's strong 6th grade math (70.9%) plummets to 9.4% by 8th grade. Test scores also swing significantly from year to year due to small grade-level cohorts, so parents should weigh multi-year trends rather than any single year's results.
Thank you for your feedback!