Summary:
Zip code 38611 is served by a single elementary school: Byhalia Elementary School, which enrolls 515 students in grades K–4 as part of the Marshall County School District. With 99.42% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school serves an almost entirely economically disadvantaged population. Chronic absenteeism stands at 24.2%, which is essentially at the state average of 23.9% and slightly better than the district's 26.2%. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.2.
Byhalia Elementary has shown clear signs of improvement. Its statewide ranking climbed from the 4th percentile in 2023–2024 (373rd out of 390 schools, 0 stars) to the 32nd percentile in 2025–2026 (258th out of 377 schools, 2 stars). The current 4th grade class is a bright spot: in 2025–2026, 52.7% scored proficient in ELA, slightly above the state average of 52.4%, while 43.1% were proficient in math, up sharply from 29.7% the prior year. However, 3rd grade remains a concern. Only 23.5% of 3rd graders were proficient in math in 2025–2026, a 25.3-point gap compared to the state, and a sharp drop from 39.8% the year before. Third grade ELA also trails the state by 14.8 points.
The improvement pattern is uneven, suggesting that progress may be cohort-driven rather than systemic. In 2024–2025, 3rd graders outperformed 4th graders in both subjects; in 2025–2026, the opposite was true, with 4th graders outperforming 3rd graders by wide margins. With no other elementary schools in 38611 for direct comparison, all benchmarks must be measured against the district and state. Overall, Byhalia Elementary is moving in the right direction, but sustained support — especially in early elementary math — will be critical to maintaining momentum.
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