Smith County School District

The Smith County School District in Mississippi serves 2,538 students across four schools — Mize Attendance Center (PK-12), Raleigh Elementary School (PK-6), Taylorsville Attendance Center (PK-12), and Raleigh High School (7-12). The district is ranked 63rd out of 134 Mississippi districts with a 3-star rating, and about 72 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Mize Attendance Center is the clear academic leader, averaging about 65 percent proficiency across its MAAP tests — more than double the rate at Taylorsville Attendance Center, which averages just 31.5 percent. Mize exceeds the state in 16 of 18 reported tests, with standout results in 8th grade math (84.4%), Algebra I (87.1%), and U.S. History (86.2%). Meanwhile, Raleigh High School boasts the district's best graduation rate at 96.5%, but its academic ranking has fallen sharply from the 74th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 37th percentile in 2025-2026. Proficiency dropped in nearly every subject, including Algebra I (69.3% to 57.5%) and English II (56.2% to 44.6%). Raleigh Elementary School shows a similar downward trend, particularly in early grades, with 3rd grade ELA falling from 53.5% to 35.4%.

Taylorsville has the highest poverty rate (88.6%) and the lowest graduation rate (68.8%), and it scores below the state in all 18 reported tests. However, poverty does not tell the whole story — Mize serves a student body with 62.7% poverty and still performs exceptionally well. Chronic absenteeism is a district strength, with every school below the state average of 23.9%, and class size does not predict success: Taylorsville has the smallest classes (12.2 students per teacher) yet the lowest scores. Families should know that this district offers a strong option in Mize, a high-graduation high school in Raleigh, but also two schools — Taylorsville and Raleigh Elementary — that are trending in the wrong direction and deserve close attention.