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

West Lowndes High School

Public Grades 7-12

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 224 Mississippi High Schools

Better than 14% of Mississippi high schools

Summary

West Lowndes High School is a small public school in Columbus, MS, serving 206 students in grades 7 through 12 within the Lowndes County School District. The school serves an extremely economically disadvantaged population, with 98.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and it has the lowest student-teacher ratio among nearby schools at just 7.6 students per teacher.

Despite that staffing advantage, academic outcomes are well below district and state averages. West Lowndes High School ranks 192nd out of 224 Mississippi high schools (14th percentile, 1 star) for 2025-2026, while district peers Caledonia High School ranks 37th and New Hope High School ranks 77th. Proficiency gaps are largest in English language arts — just 23.5% of West Lowndes students were proficient in English II versus 49.3% statewide — and science. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern: nearly 4 in 10 students were chronically absent in 2023-2024, compared to 23.9% statewide.

There are, however, bright spots. West Lowndes outperforms Columbus High School in several subjects, and its graduation rate of 86.5% in 2024-2025 beat both Columbus (84.3%) and West Point High School (75.6%). The school has also posted strong results in Algebra I (78.6% proficient in 2023-2024, above the state's 67.4%) and Biology (51.8% in 2025-2026, close to the state average). Because the school is so small, results swing considerably from year to year, and a single cohort can shift proficiency rates dramatically. The clearest path forward appears to be reducing chronic absenteeism, which remains one of the strongest levers within the school's control.

206

Students ?

7.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,230

Per pupil spending ?

98.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

644 South Frontage Road
Columbus, MS 39701

(662) 244-5070

District: Lowndes County School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.1%

White:

2.9%

Hispanic:

1.0%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

Compare West Lowndes High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (32% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 24% Mississippi)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg58%

Mississippi avg53%

Middle school

230^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

192^nd of 224

Mississippi public high schools ?

Bottom 14%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 4% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3High Schools in the Lowndes County School District

53^rd of 133Lowndes County 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	17.1	230 of 263	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.9	177 of 266	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.0	192 of 264	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	196 of 243	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.0	187 of 257	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.8	201 of 257	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.3	203 of 264	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.1	167 of 252	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.5	185 of 272	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	26.4	187 of 260	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	34.0	171 of 266	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	16.8	192 of 224	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.8	159 of 232	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.5	180 of 228	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	209 of 226	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	166 of 228	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.3	178 of 231	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	150 of 233	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.6	117 of 233	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	25.8	172 of 237	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.0	222 of 231	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.5	222 of 226	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	24.7	196 of 236	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.6	170 of 238	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.1	219 of 241	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.1	236 of 244	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	31.5	173 of 235	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.0	183 of 235	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.2	188 of 235	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	20.5	203 of 232	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	47.4	137 of 232	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	67.9	63 of 232	72.8%	★★★★☆
2004	40.8	166 of 232	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Biology52%-11 vs state

Algebra I46%-20 vs state

Mathematics38%-16 vs state

Science26%-32 vs state

English II24%-26 vs state

English Language Arts21%-18 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate West Lowndes High School and help other families decide.

Rate West Lowndes High 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 West Lowndes High 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 Algebra I (2026)	MAAP English II (2026)	MAAP Science (2026)	MAAP Biology (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 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
West Lowndes High School	Public	7-12	644 South Frontage Road	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5070	206	27	7.6	98.5%	6 (2.9%)	196 (95.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	16.8	192^nd of 224 public high schools	14.3%		28.8	159^th of 232 public high schools	31.5%	33	16.2	25.8	37.8	38.8	46.5	23.5	25.9	51.8	$20,230
Mississippi School For Math And Science	Public, Magnet	11-12	1100 College Street	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science	No	Yes	No	No	(662) 329-7670	240	26	9.2		131 (54.6%)	39 (16.3%)	13 (5.4%)	48 (20.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)
McKellar Vocational Center	Public	8-12	810 N Browder Street	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7290	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Columbus High School	Public	9-12	215 Hemlock St	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7200	865	74	11.6	99.8%	18 (2.1%)	813 (94.0%)	23 (2.7%)	7 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	10.8	208^th of 224 public high schools	7.1%		6.2	222^nd of 232 public high schools	4.3%	14					31.1	23.0		47.1	$13,613
Lowndes County Vocational Complex	Public	8-12	1085 Lehmberg Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5038	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
New Hope High School	Public	9-12	2920 New Hope Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-4701	787	61	12.8	61.6%	394 (50.1%)	357 (45.4%)	10 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	19 (2.4%)	64.5	77^th of 224 public high schools	65.6%		70.3	73^rd of 232 public high schools	68.5%	4					67.3	50.5		75.4	$12,236
West Point Vocational Comp	Public	8-12	3413 East Church Hill Road	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 494-6176	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Point High School	Public	8-12	90 S. Eshman Avenue	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-5083	1,010	82	12.3		146 (14.5%)	817 (80.9%)	12 (1.2%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (2.9%)	29.8	159^th of 224 public high schools	29.0%		18.1	191^st of 232 public high schools	17.7%	32		23.6		53.7	58.1	34.7	35.4	53.3	$13,318
Caledonia High School	Public	9-12	111 Confederate Drive	Caledonia	39740	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 356-2001	640	51	12.6	42.3%	462 (72.2%)	104 (16.3%)	37 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.3%)	77.2	37^th of 224 public high schools	83.5%		90.1	15^th of 232 public high schools	93.5%	22					64.2	69.2		73.9	$13,322
Millsaps Career & Technical Center	Public	8-12	803 Louisville Road	Starkville	39759	Oktibbeha County	Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 324-4170	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about West Lowndes High School

How many students attend West Lowndes High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 206 students attended West Lowndes High School.

What is the racial makeup of West Lowndes High School?

Students at West Lowndes High School are 95% African American, 3% White.

What district is West Lowndes High School in?

Lowndes County School District

Is West Lowndes High School a good school?

West Lowndes High School ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Mississippi high schools.

Rate West Lowndes High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MSMississippi High School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Columbus, MS

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for West Lowndes High School!

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.