Caledonia Elementary

Caledonia Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Caledonia, Mississippi, serving 1,070 students in the Lowndes County School District. The school has earned a 5-star rating every year since at least 2015–2016, and its most recent state ranking places it 30th out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools — the 92nd percentile. This puts it in a completely different tier than nearby schools in the region.

Academic proficiency at Caledonia is well above state averages in every subject and grade. In 5th-grade science, 89.6% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 71.5%. Math proficiency is also strong, with roughly 70% of students proficient in grades 3 through 5. The contrast with nearby schools is dramatic: New Hope Elementary, the nearest same-district school, ranks in the 55th percentile, while schools in the Columbus Municipal School District and West Point Consolidated School District typically rank in the bottom half or bottom quarter of the state. In 3rd-grade math, Caledonia's proficiency rate of 72.6% is about three times higher than several Columbus schools.

Beyond test scores, Caledonia stands out for attendance and consistency. Chronic absenteeism is just 9.6%, far lower than the district rate of 20.0% and the state rate of 23.9%. The school serves a more economically mixed population than its neighbors, with about 51% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, compared to nearly 100% at many Columbus and Aberdeen schools. Caledonia has ranked in the 90th percentile or higher for a full decade, though a few recent scores have softened slightly. For parents considering schools in northeast Mississippi, Caledonia Elementary is the clear academic standout.