Vardaman Attendance Center

Vardaman Attendance Center is a PK-12 public school in Vardaman, Mississippi, serving 624 students in the rural Calhoun County School District, where 74.7% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 11.5:1.

Despite its high-poverty demographics, Vardaman's overall proficiency across state tests (53.3%) essentially matches the Mississippi state average (53.0%) and exceeds both its district (49.5%) and nearby Houlka Attendance Center (49.6%). The school's most striking asset is its exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 7.2%, compared to 15.8% for Calhoun County, 23.9% statewide, and 21.0% at Houlka. Vardaman is particularly strong in middle and high school science and math: 8th grade science proficiency is 78.3% (state: 57.8%), Biology is 83.9% (state: 63.1%), and 6th grade math is 70.8% (state: 52.7%). English II has also improved steadily, from 41% three years ago to 63.1% today.

However, early elementary results are cause for concern. Just 26% of Vardaman 3rd graders scored proficient in ELA, well below the state's 48.5%, and 5th grade math (32.2%) also trails the state (49.6%). Algebra I proficiency dropped from 78.5% to 58.2% in one year. Grade-level scores also fluctuate significantly due to small cohorts. While Vardaman outperformed its district in 11 of 17 assessments, the school's biggest opportunity is replicating its impressive secondary results in the elementary grades. If it does, it has the potential to become one of the stronger rural schools in the region.