Best High Schools in Zip Code 38618

The 38618 zip code is home to a single high school, Independence High School, which serves students in grades 9-12 within the Tate County School District. While the school has a relatively high graduation rate of 89.4%, it has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Mississippi high schools over the past three years, suggesting systemic challenges that need to be addressed.

Independence High School's academic performance is generally below the district and state averages, with the school struggling particularly in English Language Arts, where only 23.8% of 7th graders and 32.9% of 8th graders were proficient or better in 2024-2025. However, the school did perform better in U.S. History, with 81.4% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 69.7%. The school's high chronic absenteeism rate of 23.9% and the fact that 72.54% of its students receive free or reduced-price lunch indicate that socioeconomic factors may be contributing to the school's lower academic performance.

Despite the challenges, Independence High School has some strengths, such as a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.8, which could be leveraged to improve student learning. Targeted interventions and support in areas of weakness, such as English Language Arts, as well as addressing attendance issues, could help drive academic progress and better outcomes for the school.