Summary
Houlka Attendance Center is a PK-12 public school in Houlka, Mississippi, serving 457 students in the Chickasaw County School District. The district is rated 3 stars, ranking 51st out of 134 Mississippi districts. The school serves a high-poverty population — 72.9% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-2025, down sharply from 99.4% three years earlier — and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.4 to 1.
Academically, Houlka shows clear strengths in the middle grades. In the most recent testing year, 6th graders posted 72% proficiency in English Language Arts and 64% in math, well above state averages of 48% and 52.7%. Fifth grade science proficiency was an impressive 87.8%, far exceeding the state average of 71.5%. However, early-grade reading lags: 3rd grade ELA proficiency was 35.1% and 4th grade was 36.7%, both well below state averages. Upper-grade English is also a concern, with 7th and 8th grade proficiency at 29.0% and 30.8%. English II end-of-course scores have been volatile, and the graduation rate dropped to 82.4% in 2024-2025 after a perfect 100% the prior year.
Compared to nearby Vardaman Attendance Center, just 14 miles away, Houlka outperforms in 6th grade reading (72% vs. 54.1%), 5th grade science (87.8% vs. 58.1%), and Algebra I (63.6% vs. 58.2%). Vardaman, however, has a significant advantage in Biology (83.9% vs. 54.6%), English II (63.1% vs. 52.8%), and chronic absenteeism — Houlka's 21.0% rate is nearly three times Vardaman's 7.2%, despite similar poverty levels. Since chronic absenteeism is closely tied to lower achievement, improving attendance could be a key lever for Houlka. Overall, this is a school with real bright spots in middle-grades academics and elementary science, but with meaningful work needed in early-grade literacy, high school English and science, and student attendance.
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