Summary
West Bolivar Elementary, located in Rosedale, MS, serves 242 students in grades K-6 and sits in the economically distressed Mississippi Delta, where essentially all students come from low-income families. The school, part of the West Bolivar Consolidated School District, has faced significant academic challenges in recent years, ranking near the bottom of Mississippi elementary schools—in 2025–2026, it placed 374th out of 377 schools, and in 2023–2024, it was the lowest-performing school in the entire state.
Mathematics is the most urgent concern. Only 2.9% of 3rd graders met state expectations in math, essentially the lowest score in the region, and math proficiency remains in the teens to mid-20s for upper grades, far below state averages. English Language Arts scores are also low, typically between 20–30% proficient, but less catastrophic than math. The contrast with nearby schools is striking: Hayes Cooper Center, just 17 miles away, serves the same low-income population yet ranks in the 68th percentile, with 5th-grade math proficiency at 78.8% versus West Bolivar’s 18.5%. Similarly, I. T. Montgomery Elementary School has nearly identical poverty levels and staffing but posts much stronger scores, showing that high poverty does not dictate low achievement.
Other factors also play a role. Chronic absenteeism stands at 24.8%, above the state average (23.9%) and well above the rates at D.M. Smith Elementary (14.6%) and Pearman Elementary (13.0%), though it remains below the district’s 32.2% rate. On a more positive note, the student-teacher ratio of 12.9 is favorable and 5th-grade science proficiency (48.1%) is a relative strength, beating Pearman and nearly matching the district average. The school’s decline from the 17th percentile in 2018–2019 suggests recovery is possible, but it will require addressing the early-grade math crisis, improving attendance, and learning from the successful schools operating just a few miles away.
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