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William J. Berry Elementary School

Q: Is William J. Berry Elementary School a good school?

William J. Berry Elementary School ranks 225 th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

William J. Berry Elementary School serves 389 students in pre-K through 6th grade in Heidelberg, Mississippi, and is part of the East Jasper School District. The school stands out for its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 10.2% — less than half the statewide average of 23.9% — despite 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is far better than nearby schools like Quitman Lower Elementary (32.9%) and Quitman Upper Elementary School (30.9%), suggesting strong family engagement and a positive school climate.

Academically, Berry is on an upward trajectory. Its statewide ranking has improved from 293rd in 2023-2024 to 224th in 2025-2026, and 3rd grade English Language Arts proficiency reached 53.6% — above the state average of 48.5% and well ahead of several nearby schools, including Bay Springs Elementary School (41.1%) and North Jones Elementary School (31.5%). Fifth grade math also rebounded sharply to 53.8%, topping the state average and outpacing schools like Beat Four School (20.0%). Berry is competitive even against schools from the higher-ranked Jones County School District.

However, there are concerns. Test scores decline sharply by 6th grade — ELA proficiency drops to 29.6% versus the state's 48.0% — and 5th grade science (59.7%) trails the state average (71.5%). The student-teacher ratio has also climbed quickly from 10.2 to 16.3 over two years, which could strain resources. While the current improvement is encouraging, small grade cohorts mean rankings can swing year to year. Still, with strong attendance and rising early-grade literacy, Berry is moving in the right direction.

389

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,845

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4035 County Road 8
Heidelberg, MS 39439

(601) 787-2601

District: East Jasper School District

Students who attend William J. Berry Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Heidelberg Junior High School
High:	Heidelberg High School

Racial breakdown:

Two or more races:

84.6%

African American:

14.4%

White:

1.0%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare William J. Berry Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (47% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Science scores 12 pts below the Mississippi average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg47%

Mississippi avg53%

225^th of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

75^th of 133East Jasper 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	41.3	225 of 377	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.5	234 of 383	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.6	293 of 390	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.0	246 of 377	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.8	256 of 382	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.7	254 of 381	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.3	234 of 397	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.3	210 of 404	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.1	198 of 406	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	25.2	305 of 394	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	47.9	191 of 402	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	34.7	280 of 394	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.3	271 of 408	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.3	224 of 414	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	30.3	323 of 418	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.2	275 of 403	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	28.5	300 of 392	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	25.6	315 of 394	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science60%-12 vs state

Mathematics46%-4 vs state

English Language Arts44%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near William J. Berry Elementary School

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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 English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
William J. Berry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4035 County Road 8	Heidelberg	39439	Jasper County	East Jasper School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 787-2601	389	24	16.3	100.0%	4 (1.0%)	56 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	329 (84.6%)	41.3	225^th of 377 public elementary schools	40.3%		39.5	234^th of 383 public elementary schools	38.9%	9	53.6	45.1	46.1	29.6			46.5	43.1	53.8	42.6			59.7		$15,845
North Jones Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	650 Trace Road	Laurel	39443	Jones County	Jones County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 426-6632	854	60	14.2	82.4%	326 (38.2%)	302 (35.4%)	171 (20.0%)	7 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.6%)	27.7	292^nd of 377 public elementary schools	22.5%		40.2	231^st of 383 public elementary schools	39.7%	61	31.5	46.5	37.7	38.4			24.4	45.4	26.8	47.1			58.4		$9,762
East Jones Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	108 Northeast Drive	Laurel	39443	Jones County	Jones County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 425-9799	794	61	13.0	74.4%	536 (67.5%)	135 (17.0%)	37 (4.7%)	5 (0.6%)	32 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (6.2%)	56.6	160^th of 377 public elementary schools	57.6%		53.2	180^th of 383 public elementary schools	53.0%	20	74.8	56.9	46.3	57.5			74.8	51.4	36.1	47.2			55.6		$10,076
Nora Davis Elementary	Public	2-4	1305 Martin Luther King Ave	Laurel	39440	Jones County	Laurel School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(601) 438-3140	519	36	14.6	100.0%	5 (1.0%)	423 (81.5%)	80 (15.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	8.5	366^th of 377 public elementary schools	2.9%		9.1	364^th of 383 public elementary schools	5.0%	2	18.3	23.8					21.5	24.3							$10,657
Laurel Magnet School Of The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	1125 North 5th Avenue	Laurel	39440	Jones County	Laurel School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(601) 428-7446	323	20	15.8	100.0%	12 (3.7%)	283 (87.6%)	13 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	89.5	28^th of 377 public elementary schools	92.6%		92	17^th of 383 public elementary schools	95.6%	11	80.0	83.8	88.4	80.5			60.0	59.4	81.4	100.0			76.8		$10,887
Bay Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	510 Hwy 18	Bay Springs	39422	Jasper County	West Jasper School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 425-8520	370	25	14.8	96.8%	28 (7.6%)	322 (87.0%)	10 (2.7%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	42.6	220^th of 377 public elementary schools	41.6%		60.3	154^th of 383 public elementary schools	59.8%	66	41.1	38.7	56.6				46.4	14.5	56.6				73.6		$10,986
Quitman Lower Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	101 McArthur Street	Quitman	39355	Clarke County	Quitman School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 776-6156	407	11	38.6	75.4%	191 (46.9%)	204 (50.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)								(n/a)															$13,262
Quitman Upper Elementary School	Public	3-5	300 East Franklin Street	Quitman	39355	Clarke County	Quitman School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 776-6123	327	25	12.9	79.5%	131 (40.1%)	186 (56.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	46.2	206^th of 377 public elementary schools	45.4%		48.4	200^th of 383 public elementary schools	47.8%	6	41.5	53.0	50.5				31.6	53.0	51.5				64.9		$12,856
Beat Four School	Public	PK, KG-8	5090 Highway 84 West	Waynesboro	39367	Wayne County	Wayne County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 735-2124	416	28	14.8	99.3%	218 (52.4%)	154 (37.0%)	10 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.9%)	32.2	264^th of 377 public elementary schools	30.0%		27.1	291^st of 383 public elementary schools	24.0%	27	52.3	60.7	45.0	32.4	18.0	40.6	40.9	35.7	20.0	35.3	30.0	28.1	47.5	43.7	$11,696
Oak Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1205 Oak Park Avenue	Laurel	39440	Jones County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 428-5046	405	21	19.2	100.0%	5 (1.2%)	321 (79.3%)	63 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)								(n/a)															$12,259

Frequently Asked Questions about William J. Berry Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of William J. Berry Elementary School?

Students at William J. Berry Elementary School are 85% Two or more races, 14% African American, 1% White.

How many students attend William J. Berry Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 389 students attended William J. Berry Elementary School.

Is William J. Berry Elementary School a good school?

William J. Berry Elementary School ranks 225^th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is William J. Berry Elementary School in?

East Jasper School District

What schools do graduates of William J. Berry Elementary School attend?

Students who attend William J. Berry Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Heidelberg Junior High School
High : Heidelberg High School

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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.