Elementary Schools in Quitman School District

The Quitman School District in Mississippi is served by two elementary schools—Quitman Lower Elementary and Quitman Upper Elementary School—that together enroll 734 students in grades PK–2 and 3–5, respectively, in a high-poverty area where roughly three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Quitman Lower is the larger campus with 407 students and serves the earliest grades, but it has no state test data since MAAP testing begins in 3rd grade; instead, its most notable figure is a very high reported student-teacher ratio of 38.6. Quitman Upper, with 327 students, is the academic leader and the only school with proficiency results. Its state ranking improved from the 41st percentile in 2023-24 to the 48th percentile in 2024-25, then settled around the 46th percentile in 2025-26—near the middle of Mississippi elementary schools, despite the district overall being rated in the 32nd percentile statewide.

On the 2025-26 MAAP tests, Quitman Upper showed mixed results across subjects. In ELA, proficiency rose in every grade compared to the prior year, reaching 41.5% in 3rd grade, 53.0% in 4th grade, and 50.5% in 5th grade. The 4th grade ELA score was slightly above the state average, although 3rd and 5th grade ELA remained below state levels. Math performance was a different story: proficiency fell sharply in all three grades, with the largest drop in 5th grade, plunging from 63.1% to 51.5%. Still, both 4th and 5th grade math remained above the state average, while 3rd grade math lagged far behind at 31.6% versus the state’s 48.8%. Science proficiency in 5th grade was 64.9%, below the state average of 71.5%.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern across both schools, with rates of 32.9% at Quitman Lower and 30.9% at Quitman Upper—both well above the state average of 23.9%, and the district rate is even higher at 36.5%. Despite the high poverty levels, Quitman Upper has shown that improvement is possible, especially in reading, but the steep math declines deserve attention. Quitman Lower’s exceptionally high student-teacher ratio also raises red flags for early-grade class sizes, which are critical for foundational learning. In short, families in this district should celebrate the recent ELA gains and near-average state standing at Quitman Upper while keeping an eye on attendance, math support, and staffing needs at the lower elementary level.