Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School

Q: Is Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School a good school?

Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School ranks 162 nd of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 2-4

162^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School is a large intermediate school in Starkville, MS, serving 1,066 students in grades 2–4 within the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The school currently holds a 3-star rating and ranks 161st of 377 Mississippi elementary schools — a significant jump of 76 places from the previous year, when it sat at 237th. About 69% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, putting it at a moderate poverty level compared to many surrounding rural schools.

One of Henderson's standout strengths is attendance. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 13.6% — roughly half the district rate of 25.6% and far better than nearby schools like Sudduth Elementary School (23.0%), West Elementary School (24.0%), and South Side Elementary School (18.2%). This is especially notable for a school where most students come from low-income families. Academically, Henderson now scores at or above state averages in three of four tested subjects, with math a particular strength. Students also show consistent growth: 4th graders outperform 3rd graders in both ELA and math year after year. When compared to South Side Elementary School — the most similar school by grade span — Henderson wins decisively, posting 3rd-grade ELA and math scores nearly double those of South Side.

However, West Elementary School, a smaller school in the same district, offers an important counterexample. Despite higher poverty (76.8%) and much higher chronic absenteeism (24.0%), West outperforms Henderson in 4th-grade ELA (64.3 vs. 53.4) and 4th-grade math (71.4 vs. 53.1). This suggests Henderson's strong attendance and lower poverty don't automatically translate into top-tier test scores. Henderson remains the lower-performing of the district's two ranked elementary schools, trailing West's 66th percentile with its 57th percentile. The good news: Henderson's upward trajectory and excellent attendance environment give it a solid foundation to keep improving.

1,066

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,168

Per pupil spending ?

69.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Starkville, MS 39759

(662) 324-4160

District: Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District

Students who attend Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Overstreet Elementary School
High:	Starkville High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.1%

White:

28.1%

Asian:

3.9%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 41st percentile in 2018 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2018

✓Above the Mississippi median (57th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg51%

Mississippi avg50%

162^nd of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 16 pts since 2018

From bottom 41% (2018) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District

41^st of 133Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District among Mississippi districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	56.4	162 of 377	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	39.2	237 of 383	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	249 of 390	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.8	213 of 377	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.4	208 of 382	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.8	164 of 381	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.1	250 of 397	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.2	238 of 404	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics51%~ state avg

English Language Arts50%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)				MAAP Mathematics (2026)				MAAP Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School	Public	2-4	200 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.	Starkville	39759	Oktibbeha County	Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 324-4160	1,066	71	15.1	69.2%	300 (28.1%)	694 (65.1%)	20 (1.9%)	42 (3.9%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.5%)	56.4	162^nd of 377 public elementary schools	57.0%		39.2	237^th of 383 public elementary schools	38.1%	75	46.8	53.4			49.1	53.1				$11,168
Sudduth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	101 Greenfield Drive	Starkville	39759	Oktibbeha County	Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 324-4150	920	54	17.0	67.9%	248 (27.0%)	611 (66.4%)	18 (2.0%)	38 (4.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)								(n/a)										$11,204
South Side Elementary School	Public	3-4	237 Louis Odneal Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 495-6216	337	28	12.0	87.8%	37 (11.0%)	290 (86.1%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	23.4	311^th of 377 public elementary schools	17.5%		23.7	308^th of 383 public elementary schools	19.6%	3	26.1	50.0			22.9	31.4				$12,504
Church Hill Elementary School	Public	1-2	2050 W Church Hill Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-5900	379	27	14.1	89.4%	57 (15.0%)	300 (79.2%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (2.9%)								(n/a)										$11,772
East Side Elementary School	Public	PK-K	1039 E Broad Street	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-4691	251	16	15.8	92.4%	28 (11.2%)	207 (82.5%)	9 (3.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)								(n/a)										$11,511
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	127 Sturgis-Maben Road	Sturgis	39769	Oktibbeha County	Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 465-7956	190	15	12.2	76.8%	98 (51.6%)	91 (47.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64.1	128^th of 377 public elementary schools	66.0%		48.6	198^th of 383 public elementary schools	48.3%	70	45.7	64.3	57.9		54.3	71.4	52.7		63.1	$14,043
West Lowndes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Gilmer Wilburn Road	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5050	276	25	11.1	98.6%	3 (1.1%)	268 (97.1%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	24.5	303^rd of 377 public elementary schools	19.6%		23.1	312^th of 383 public elementary schools	18.5%	9	32.4	18.9	42.0	26.6	29.7	32.4	54.9	33.3	64.5	$15,813
East Webster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	230 South Street	Mathiston	39752	Webster County	Webster County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 263-8373	434	29	14.8	50.2%	358 (82.5%)	44 (10.1%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.5%)	67.4	114^th of 377 public elementary schools	69.8%		74.2	89^th of 383 public elementary schools	76.8%	25	61.2	58.1	64.2		31.5	44.6	73.1		83.6	$10,366
West Clay Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	450 Joe Stevens Road	Cedarbluff	39741	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-2350	111	11	10.4	91.0%	6 (5.4%)	49 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (50.5%)	50.6	182^nd of 377 public elementary schools	51.7%		42.3	224^th of 383 public elementary schools	41.5%	42	26.7	46.7	72.8	57.2	20.0	20.0	72.7	64.3	81.9	$21,060

Frequently Asked Questions about Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School

How many students attend Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,066 students attended Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Overstreet Elementary School
High : Starkville High School

What is the racial makeup of Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School?

Students at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School are 65% African American, 28% White, 4% Asian, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School in?

Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District

Is Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School a good school?

Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School ranks 162^nd of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MSMississippi Elementary School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Starkville, MS

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School!

Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 26, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesSep 23, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.