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Newton County Elementary School

Q: Is Newton County Elementary School a good school?

Newton County Elementary School ranks 43 rd of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

43^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

Newton County Elementary School (NCES) in Decatur, MS, serves 882 students in pre-kindergarten through 6th grade as part of the Newton County School District, which ranks 12th out of 134 Mississippi districts with a 5-star rating. The school has earned 4–5 stars in each of the past five years, ranking as high as 25th statewide in 2020–2021. Academically, NCES outperforms state averages in every subject and grade tested—most dramatically in 3rd grade, where 85.5% of students scored proficient in English Language Arts and 81% in math, compared to state averages of 48.5% and 48.8%.

The gap between NCES and nearby schools is even more striking than its advantage over the state. Newton Elementary School, just 9.7 miles away, posted only 32% proficiency in 3rd grade ELA and 24% in 3rd grade math. NCES also leads Union Elementary School, Lake Elementary School, and Conehatta Elementary School in most tested subjects, though Lake matched NCES in 4th grade. One major difference: NCES serves a less economically isolated population, with 61.8% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, compared to over 97% at Lake, Union, and Conehatta.

Chronic absenteeism has improved sharply, falling from 24.5% in 2021–2022 to 14.4% in 2023–2024—below the state average of 23.9%. The school's student-teacher ratio of 15.2 is moderate given its size. While early-grade results are exceptional, scores soften by 5th and 6th grade—5th grade ELA is 64.5% and 6th grade ELA is 53.4%, still above state averages but showing room for continued growth. Overall, NCES stands out as a high-performing, stable elementary option in east-central Mississippi, with strong district support and outcomes that far exceed regional peers.

882

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,759

Per pupil spending ?

61.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

15881 Highway 15
Decatur, MS 39327

(601) 635-2956

District: Newton County School District

Students who attend Newton County Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Newton County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.1%

African American:

23.2%

Hispanic:

2.9%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare Newton County Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 79th percentile in 2016 → 89th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (72% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Mississippi elementary schools

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg72%

Mississippi avg54%

43^rd of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to top 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 133Newton 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	43 of 377	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	78.5	68 of 383	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.0	54 of 390	86.2%	★★★★☆
2023	86.9	32 of 377	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	78.5	71 of 382	81.4%	★★★★☆
2021	90.7	25 of 381	93.4%	★★★★★
2019	83.0	56 of 397	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	82.7	51 of 404	87.4%	★★★★☆
2017	80.0	65 of 406	84.0%	★★★★☆
2016	75.2	82 of 394	79.2%	★★★★☆
2015	78.0	66 of 402	83.6%	★★★★☆
2014	77.1	71 of 394	82.0%	★★★★☆
2013	85.1	46 of 408	88.7%	★★★★☆
2012	78.5	74 of 414	82.1%	★★★★☆
2011	81.4	60 of 418	85.6%	★★★★☆
2010	78.6	68 of 403	83.1%	★★★★☆
2009	69.6	107 of 392	72.7%	★★★★☆
2008	57.2	173 of 394	56.1%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science78%+7 vs state

English Language Arts71%+19 vs state

Mathematics71%+21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Newton County Elementary School

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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	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 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
Newton County Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	15881 Highway 15	Decatur	39327	Newton County	Newton County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 635-2956	882	58	15.2	61.8%	601 (68.1%)	205 (23.2%)	26 (2.9%)	14 (1.6%)	22 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.6%)	84.4	43^rd of 377 public elementary schools	88.6%		78.5	68^th of 383 public elementary schools	82.2%	25	85.5	63.9	64.5	81.0	68.0	62.6	78.5	$11,759
Union Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	101 Forest Street	Union	39365	Neshoba County	Union Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 774-8257	410	28	14.9	99.3%	288 (70.2%)	98 (23.9%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.6%)	62.3	141^st of 377 public elementary schools	62.6%		67.7	123^rd of 383 public elementary schools	67.9%	18	67.6	44.0		67.2	44.0			$9,393
Conehatta Elementary School	Public	K-8	851 Tushka Drive	Conehatta	39057	Newton County	Conehatta Elementary School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(601) 775-8254	226	31	7.4	98.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	226 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Newton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 W. Tatum Street	Newton	39345	Newton County	Newton Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 683-3979	367	24	15.4	75.2%	18 (4.9%)	277 (75.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	66 (18.0%)	15.3	330^th of 377 public elementary schools	12.5%		16	344^th of 383 public elementary schools	10.2%	14	32.0	27.2	34.8	24.0	25.5	41.3	37.0	$12,280
Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	200 School Street	Lake	39092	Scott County	Scott County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 775-3011	333	21	15.8	99.1%	170 (51.1%)	135 (40.5%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.1%)	84.9	41^st of 377 public elementary schools	89.1%		84.2	47^th of 383 public elementary schools	87.7%	6	68.4	63.8		66.7	68.9			$9,855
Tucker Elementary School	Public	K-8	126 East Tucker Circle	Philadelphia	39350	Neshoba County	Tucker Elementary School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(601) 656-8775	119	19	6.1	97.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	119 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Newton County Elementary School

What district is Newton County Elementary School in?

Newton County School District

What is the racial makeup of Newton County Elementary School?

Students at Newton County Elementary School are 68% White, 23% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

Is Newton County Elementary School a good school?

Newton County Elementary School ranks 43^rd of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Newton County Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 882 students attended Newton County Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Newton County Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Newton County Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Newton County High School

Rate Newton County Elementary School!

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MSMississippi Elementary School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Decatur, MS

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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.