Summary:
Zip code 38663 contains exactly one public high school, Ripley High School, which serves grades 9–12 with 465 students in Ripley, Mississippi, as part of the South Tippah School District.
For parents considering this area, Ripley High School presents a mixed picture. Academically, the school shines in science and math: Biology proficiency is 85.4%, which is more than 22 points above the state average, and Algebra I proficiency is 75.5%, also above both district and state rates. U.S. History proficiency is strong at 85.0%, well above the state's 69.7%. The graduation rate is excellent at 95.7%, surpassing the state rate of 89.2% by a wide margin. The school also benefits from a favorable student–teacher ratio of 12.1, which can support personalized instruction. However, English II proficiency is a serious concern at only 39.1%, down sharply from 56.2% the previous year, and it trails both the district (45.3%) and state (49.3%). Chronic absenteeism is also high at 27.3%, meaning more than one in four students misses significant school time, even though the graduation rate remains strong. About 77.2% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high-need population that still achieves notable success in several subjects.
Over the past two school years, Ripley High School has slipped from a 4-star rating and the 83rd percentile among Mississippi high schools to a 3-star rating and the 59th percentile. The steep decline in English II appears to be the main driver, while the district overall remains a 4-star system ranked 33rd out of 134 districts. For parents, the key takeaway is that this is a school with clear STEM strengths and a strong graduation rate, but one that needs focused literacy support and attendance interventions to reverse its recent ranking slide.
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