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

Key Elementary School

Q: Is Key Elementary School a good school?

Key Elementary School ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Mississippi elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Key Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 259 students attended Key Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Key Elementary School?

Students at Key Elementary School are 94% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

Q: What schools do graduates of Key Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Key Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Bailey APAC Middle School Middle : Northwest Middle School Middle : Peeples Middle School

Public Grades K-5

377^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 0% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

Key Elementary School is a PK-5 school in Jackson, Mississippi, serving 259 students in the Jackson Public Schools district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. What makes this school stand out is its dramatic decline. In 2017-2018, Key Elementary was rated 4 stars, ranking in the 83rd percentile statewide. By 2025-2026, it ranked 377th out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools—dead last—with a 0-star rating. No nearby school experienced such a steep fall from high-performing to last-in-state.

The academic crisis is most visible in mathematics. In 2025-2026, Key's 3rd-grade math proficiency was 2.9%, 4th grade was 7.9%, and 5th grade was 0%—compared to state averages of roughly 49-52%. Nearby Barack Obama Elementary School posted 89.5% proficiency in 5th-grade math, while Isable Elementary School reached 40%. English Language Arts scores are low but less out of line with neighbors, while science, once a bright spot at 80% proficiency in 2022-2023, has fallen to 30.8%. Test scores fluctuate sharply from year to year—4th-grade math dropped from 34.9% to 7.9% in a single year—suggesting inconsistent instructional effectiveness across grade levels.

Despite the academic collapse, Key has one notable strength: attendance. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 15.7% is well below the district rate of 30.1% and the state rate of 23.9%, and it outperforms nearby schools like Bates Elementary School (45.6%), Wilkins Elementary School (37.8%), and Galloway Elementary School (36.7%). The student-teacher ratio of 15.9 is also not unusually high compared with neighboring schools. The striking contrast with Barack Obama Elementary—located just miles away, serving the same poverty level, yet ranked 2nd in the state—demonstrates that improvement is possible. Key Elementary will need major intervention to reverse its current trajectory.

259

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,217

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

699 West McDowell Road
Jackson, MS 39204

(601) 371-4333

District: Jackson Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.8%

Hispanic:

2.7%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare Key Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2016 → <1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (14% vs 54% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg34%

Mississippi avg54%

377^th of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 35 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st of 21Elementary Schools in the Jackson Public Schools

109^th of 133Jackson Public Schools 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	2.6	377 of 377	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.9	371 of 380	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	343 of 380	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	47.4	189 of 358	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.3	215 of 355	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.2	296 of 352	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	73.8	89 of 354	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	69 of 351	80.3%	★★★★☆
2017	37.1	259 of 406	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.7	258 of 394	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	21.3	336 of 402	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	58.8	168 of 394	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	17.7	368 of 408	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.1	371 of 414	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.7	276 of 418	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.3	228 of 403	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.2	235 of 392	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.8	239 of 394	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science31%-41 vs state

English Language Arts20%-32 vs state

Mathematics3%-47 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Key Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Key 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 Key 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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
Key Elementary School	Public	K-5	699 West McDowell Road	Jackson	39204	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 371-4333	259	16	15.9	51.7%	4 (1.5%)	243 (93.8%)	7 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	2.6	377^th of 377 public elementary schools	0.0%		6.9	371^st of 380 public elementary schools	2.4%	6	17.3	18.4	28.2	2.9	7.9	0.0	30.8	$14,217
Shirley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	210 Daniel Lake Blvd	Jackson	39212	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 371-4336	0	24	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	8.7	364^th of 377 public elementary schools	3.4%		7.5	366^th of 380 public elementary schools	3.7%	2	19.1	37.3	33.9	14.2	12.0	18.9	47.2	$12,438
Wilkins Elementary School	Public	K-5	1970 Castle Hill Drive	Jackson	39204	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 228-0056	434	21	20.8	59.2%	5 (1.2%)	407 (93.8%)	15 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	8.4	367^th of 377 public elementary schools	2.7%		6.5	373^rd of 380 public elementary schools	1.8%	6	16.8	17.5	28.0	19.1	25.4	26.0	52.0	$12,543
Isable Elementary School	Public	K-5	1716 Isable Street	Jackson	39204	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5310	244	15	16.5	63.1%	4 (1.6%)	233 (95.5%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	12.8	340^th of 377 public elementary schools	9.8%		7.1	369^th of 380 public elementary schools	2.9%	29	11.9	13.2	32.0	35.7	21.1	40.0	44.0	$13,595
Oak Forest Elementary School	Public	K-5	1831 Smallwood Drive	Jackson	39212	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 371-4330	436	23	18.8	53.4%	1 (0.2%)	425 (97.5%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	12	345^th of 377 public elementary schools	8.5%		10.1	359^th of 380 public elementary schools	5.5%	14	14.5	27.7	51.3	8.7	21.2	29.2	46.4	$14,377
Clausell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3330 Harley Street	Jackson	39209	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5319	231	16	14.2	61.0%	0 (0.0%)	226 (97.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	7.5	372^nd of 377 public elementary schools	1.3%		13.5	350^th of 380 public elementary schools	7.9%	22	27.0	22.7	40.0	11.1	11.4	16.7	43.3	$13,432
Bates Elementary School	Public	K-5	3180 McDowell Rd. Ext.	Jackson	39204	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 346-1412	482	26	18.3	45.2%	5 (1.0%)	405 (84.0%)	62 (12.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	10.4	356^th of 377 public elementary schools	5.6%		7	370^th of 380 public elementary schools	2.6%	14	27.3	25.7	30.0	25.2	27.1	18.6	45.7	$13,079
Pecan Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	415 Claiborne Avenue	Jackson	39209	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5444	510	31	16.5	48.2%	7 (1.4%)	425 (83.3%)	67 (13.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	8.5	365^th of 377 public elementary schools	3.2%		8.8	362^nd of 380 public elementary schools	4.7%	3	22.6	31.0	30.0	17.8	28.2	14.3	38.6	$12,947
Barack Obama Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7020 Highway 49 North	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(601) 960-5334	242	14	16.9	18.6%	1 (0.4%)	236 (97.5%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	96.8	2^nd of 377 public elementary schools	99.5%		94.4	10^th of 380 public elementary schools	97.4%	8	85.4	76.6	92.1	85.4	76.6	89.5	97.4	$12,759
Galloway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	186 Idlewild Street	Jackson	39203	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5313	296	21	14.3	56.1%	3 (1.0%)	287 (97.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	4.4	376^th of 377 public elementary schools	0.3%		12.9	352^nd of 380 public elementary schools	7.4%	24	16.5	12.0	30.9	10.2	8.0	9.1	49.1	$14,185

Frequently Asked Questions about Key Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Key Elementary School?

Students at Key Elementary School are 94% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Key Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Key Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bailey APAC Middle School
Middle : Northwest Middle School
Middle : Peeples Middle School

How many students attend Key Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 259 students attended Key Elementary School.

Is Key Elementary School a good school?

Key Elementary School ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Mississippi elementary schools.

What district is Key Elementary School in?

Jackson Public Schools

Rate Key Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MSMississippi Elementary School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Jackson, MS

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Key Elementary School!

Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

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

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.