KCSD Upper Elementary School

Kemper County Upper Elementary is a public middle school located in De Kalb, Mississippi, serving grades 4-8 with a total enrollment of 131 students. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates and a student population where 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, Kemper County Upper Elementary's performance is significantly lower than the state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics for 4th and 5th grades are around 20-44%, compared to the state averages of 48.3% to 56.6%. When compared to nearby schools, such as West Lauderdale Middle School, the academic performance of Kemper County Upper Elementary is even more stark, with proficiency rates in 6th-8th grades ranging from 50-73% at West Lauderdale Middle School.

The school's challenges extend beyond academics, as it has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.7% to 26.6% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio is relatively low, ranging from 8.5 to 11 students per teacher, which is lower than the nearby Kemper County Middle School (9.5 students per teacher) and West Lauderdale Middle School (13.2 students per teacher). These factors suggest that Kemper County Upper Elementary faces systemic challenges in providing quality education to its students, who come from a predominantly low-income population served by the Kemper County School District.