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

R.H. Bearden Elementary

Public Grades K-6

310^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 383 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

R H Bearden Elementary School is a public elementary school in Sumner, Mississippi, serving 244 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the West Tallahatchie School District, which is ranked 117 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

R H Bearden Elementary faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 20.9% to 34.1% over the past few years, well above the state average. The school's test scores are also consistently low compared to state and district averages, with the highest projected proficiency rate being 79.2% in 6th grade Mathematics for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, 100% of the students at R H Bearden Elementary are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing R H Bearden Elementary to nearby schools, the performance gap becomes even more apparent. For example, Quitman County Elementary School, about 16 miles away, has much higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, with some grades reaching over 60% proficiency. Additionally, R H Bearden Elementary's performance has been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 233 out of 402 schools in 2014-2015 to 310 out of 383 schools in the projected 2024-2025 school year. This trend suggests that the school may be struggling to address the unique needs of its students.

251

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,177

Per pupil spending ?

98.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6442 Friendship Road West
Sumner, MS 38957

(662) 375-8304

District: West Tallahatchie School District

Students who attend R.H. Bearden Elementary usually attend:

High:

West Tallahatchie High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.8%

Two or more races:

3.2%

White:

1.2%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare R.H. Bearden Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 2nd percentile in 2021 → 19th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 19th (2025) from a 2nd-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (34% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Science scores 31 pts below the Mississippi average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg34%

Mississippi avg53%

310^th of 383

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to bottom 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

117^th of 130West Tallahatchie 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
2025	23.3	310 of 383	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	344 of 390	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.7	353 of 377	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.3	363 of 382	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.3	374 of 381	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	330 of 397	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	317 of 404	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.6	314 of 406	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.6	255 of 394	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.4	233 of 402	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.3	268 of 394	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	27.3	324 of 408	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.6	348 of 414	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.1	384 of 418	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	10.0	388 of 403	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.2	389 of 392	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	13.8	365 of 394	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics41%-12 vs state

Science35%-31 vs state

English Language Arts27%-24 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate R.H. Bearden Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate R.H. Bearden Elementary

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 R.H. Bearden Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAAP English Language Arts (2025)				MAAP Mathematics (2025)				MAAP Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
R.H. Bearden Elementary	Public	K-6	6442 Friendship Road West	Sumner	38957	Tallahatchie County	West Tallahatchie School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 375-8304	251	12	20.9	98.8%	3 (1.2%)	238 (94.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	23.3	310^th of 383 public elementary schools	19.1%		16.2	344^th of 390 public elementary schools	11.8%	34	22.2	30.6	29.4	29.1	18.1	47.2	38.3	79.2	35.3	$18,177
A.W. James Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 South Blvd	Drew	38737	Sunflower County	Sunflower County Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 745-8892	219	17	12.6	100.0%	1 (0.5%)	207 (94.5%)	7 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	39.4	235^th of 383 public elementary schools	38.6%		55.4	175^th of 390 public elementary schools	55.1%	60	22.2	56.0	34.4		55.6	64.0	31.3		59.4	$15,006
Quitman County Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1018 10th Street	Lambert	38643	Quitman County	Quitman County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 326-7186	331	27	12.4	100.0%	11 (3.3%)	309 (93.4%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	52.2	184^th of 383 public elementary schools	52.0%		57.9	166^th of 390 public elementary schools	57.4%	18	38.1	42.7			62.0	65.4				$13,046
Charleston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	412 E. Chestnut St.	Charleston	38921	Tallahatchie County	East Tallahatchie School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 647-2679	316	24	13.4	99.1%	37 (11.7%)	263 (83.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.4%)	10.1	361^st of 383 public elementary schools	5.7%		10.9	365^th of 390 public elementary schools	6.4%	4	26.7	23.4			25.0	21.3				$14,296
Ruleville Central Elementary	Public	K-5	410 L F Packer Drive	Ruleville	38771	Sunflower County	Sunflower County Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 756-4276	271	18	14.8	100.0%	6 (2.2%)	259 (95.6%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	19.1	331^st of 383 public elementary schools	13.6%		21.2	321^st of 390 public elementary schools	17.7%	10	20.4	33.3	33.3		4.1	38.9	21.4		66.6	$12,259
George H. Oliver Visual/Performing Arts Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-4	871 Ritchie Avenue	Clarksdale	38614	Coahoma County	Clarksdale Municipal School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(662) 627-8605	299	16	19.2	98.0%	4 (1.3%)	253 (84.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (13.4%)								(n/a)										$14,221
Booker T. Washington International Studies Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-4	1806 Sunflower	Clarksdale	38614	Coahoma County	Clarksdale Municipal School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(662) 627-8567	247	12	20.1	98.8%	3 (1.2%)	202 (81.8%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (15.8%)	7.3	370^th of 383 public elementary schools	3.4%		7.9	378^th of 390 public elementary schools	3.1%	8	15.2	34.4			13.0	15.6				$14,701
Lyon Elementary	Public	K-6	2020 Roberson Road	Lyon	38645	Coahoma County	Coahoma County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 624-8544	224	15	15.1	96.4%	3 (1.3%)	172 (76.8%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (20.1%)	35.3	258^th of 383 public elementary schools	32.6%		22.5	317^th of 390 public elementary schools	18.7%	59	48.6	22.2	43.2	33.3	57.1	44.4	27.0	22.2	75.6	$14,021

Frequently Asked Questions about R.H. Bearden Elementary

Is R.H. Bearden Elementary a good school?

R.H. Bearden Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.1% of Mississippi elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of R.H. Bearden Elementary attend?

Students who attend R.H. Bearden Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : West Tallahatchie High School

How many students attend R.H. Bearden Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 251 students attended R.H. Bearden Elementary.

What district is R.H. Bearden Elementary in?

West Tallahatchie School District

What is the racial makeup of R.H. Bearden Elementary?

Students at R.H. Bearden Elementary are 95% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% White.

Rate R.H. Bearden Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MSMississippi Elementary School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Sumner, MS

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for R.H. Bearden Elementary!

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.