Summary:
The South Tippah School District in rural northern Mississippi contains a single elementary school, Ripley Elementary School, serving grades K–4 with 611 students. The district itself is ranked 33rd out of 134 districts in Mississippi and holds a 4-star rating, though Ripley Elementary School has seen its statewide rank slip from 87th to 131st over the past three years, dropping from 4 stars to 3.
This high-poverty school (84.94% free/reduced lunch) nevertheless posts some strong results. In 2025–2026, 3rd-grade math proficiency reached 73.3%, nearly 25 points above the state average, and 3rd-grade ELA was 60.4%, about 12 points above the state. Chronic absenteeism is just 11.8% compared to 18.7% for the district and 23.9% statewide. However, 4th-grade performance is a concern: only 40.5% of 4th graders were proficient in ELA, more than 11 points below the state, and 4th-grade math (53.4%) barely edged out the state (51.5%). The same cohort of students who scored well as 3rd graders in 2024–2025 saw a 13.3-point drop in ELA and an 8-point drop in math by 4th grade.
Overall, Ripley Elementary School remains above state averages on most measures, but it is losing ground relative to other elementary schools in Mississippi—its star rating fell from 4 to 3. The 4th-grade "valley" and the severe decline from 3rd to 4th grade suggest a critical intervention point. With strong district support and excellent attendance, the school has clear strengths to build on, but stabilizing 4th-grade math and especially ELA will be key to reversing the downward trend and returning to its former 4-star standing.
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