Kosciusko High School

Kosciusko Senior High School is a public high school in Kosciusko, MS, serving 579 students in grades 9–12 in rural central Mississippi as part of the Kosciusko School District. The school has a relatively high poverty rate — about 77% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and a student-teacher ratio of 14.1. Its state ranking has slipped over the past decade from the mid-60th percentile to the mid-40s, and it currently holds a 2-star rating, placing it just below the middle of Mississippi high schools.

Compared with nearby schools, Kosciusko stands out for its size more than its results. It has more than twice the enrollment of Ethel Attendance Center (230 students) and more than three times that of McAdams Attendance Center (167 students), both part of Attala County Schools. Despite having lower poverty than either neighbor — both are above 98% free/reduced lunch — Kosciusko does not outperform them academically. Ethel in particular has surged to the top tier of Mississippi high schools, ranking as high as 6th in the state with 5 stars despite its high poverty rate. McAdams has been more volatile, bouncing between the 29th and 51st percentiles. Kosciusko's chronic absenteeism rate of 26.4% is better than its neighbors' (both above 41%), but still above the state average of 23.9%.

On state end-of-course exams, Kosciusko's results are mixed but persistently weak in English. Only 45.1% of students scored proficient in English II, below the state's 49.3%, while Algebra I proficiency (64.4%) is near the state average and Biology (57.6%) trails the state by 5.5 points. The school shows occasional bright spots — Biology jumped to 77.2% in 2024–2025 and U.S. History hit 83.8% in 2023–2024 — but these gains have not been sustained. Graduation rates have been stable in the high-80s, just below the state average. For parents, the takeaway is that Kosciusko has pockets of strength, but inconsistent curriculum alignment and above-average absenteeism appear to be holding the school back from the turnaround its neighbors have shown.