R.H. Bearden Elementary

R.H. Bearden Elementary in Sumner, MS, is a small rural school in the West Tallahatchie School District serving 251 students in grades K-6, where nearly all families (98.8%) qualify for free or reduced lunch in one of the state's most economically challenged regions. Despite these circumstances, the school has shown remarkable momentum, climbing from the bottom 5% of Mississippi elementary schools in 2021-2022 to the 32nd percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026—including a single-year jump from the 19th to the 32nd percentile that makes it one of the fastest-improving schools in the area.

The standout bright spot is 6th grade math, where 74.2% of students were proficient in 2025-2026, well above the state average of 52.7% and far ahead of Lyon Elementary's 28.9%. Gains have been broad-based across nearly every subject and grade, including 5th grade ELA rising from 18.5% to 44.7% over two years. The school has also cut chronic absenteeism from 36.0% to 20.9%, now below the state average of 23.9% and much better than nearby Booker T. Washington International Studies Magnet School at 40.7%. Math proficiency rises steadily with each grade level—from 35.3% in 3rd grade to 74.2% in 6th grade—suggesting the school adds increasing value as students progress.

Despite these gains, R.H. Bearden still trails the state average in most subjects, especially in early grades and science. Only 26.5% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA versus 48.5% statewide, and 5th grade science lags by 24 percentage points. The student-teacher ratio also nearly doubled from 11.3 to 20.9 in one year, the highest among nearby schools. Still, the school now ranks third among eight area comparison schools, behind A.W. James and Quitman County Elementary, and clearly outperforms Charleston Elementary, Ruleville Central Elementary, and Lyon Elementary. If the current trajectory continues, R.H. Bearden is poised to become a genuinely competitive school in the Mississippi Delta.