Summary:
ZIP code 38611 (Byhalia, MS) is home to three public schools in the Marshall County School District—Byhalia Elementary School (grades K–4), Byhalia Middle School (grades 5–8), and Byhalia High School (grades 9–12)—serving a combined 1,381 students in a high-poverty area where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Among the three, Byhalia High School is the current academic leader, ranking in the 40th percentile of Mississippi high schools and earning a 2-star rating for three straight years. It also has the most favorable student-teacher ratio (12.8:1) and its Algebra I proficiency (63.3%) is very close to the state average. Byhalia Elementary School is the most improved, jumping from the 4th to the 32nd percentile over three years, though this progress is uneven—4th grade ELA and math improved sharply while 3rd grade math fell significantly. Byhalia Middle School also reached 2 stars after two years at 1 star, but its math scores remain a serious concern, especially 5th grade math (21.6% proficient versus 49.6% statewide).
Across all three schools, chronic absenteeism exceeds the state rate (23.9%) and rises with grade level, reaching 29.8% at the high school. The graduation rate of 84.3% at Byhalia High also trails the state average of 89.2%. However, there are bright spots: 8th grade science nearly matches the state average, and high school Biology and English II scores improved year over year. While these schools face severe economic challenges, the upward rank trends across all grade levels suggest the district is making meaningful, if uneven, progress.
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