Summary:
Zip code 38665 in rural Mississippi is served by just two schools within the Tate County School District: Strayhorn Elementary School (grades K–6, enrollment 407) and Strayhorn High School (grades 7–12, enrollment 404). The district itself ranks in the bottom 20% of Mississippi districts with a 1-star rating, yet these two neighboring schools paint very different pictures of academic health. Both serve a majority low-income population, with roughly 7 in 10 students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and both have a 14:1 student-teacher ratio.
Strayhorn Elementary School is the clear standout, holding a 3-star rating and ranking in the 51st–60th percentile statewide. In 2025–2026, it beat both district and state averages in 3rd and 4th grade math and 4th grade ELA (69.3% proficient vs. 52.4% statewide). By contrast, Strayhorn High School has collapsed to the 5th percentile and a 0-star rating, with proficiency rates far below state averages—notably 17.9% in 7th grade ELA (vs. 36.7%) and just 18.9% on the English II end-of-course exam (vs. 49.3%). This is a recent decline: the high school ranked near the 40th percentile with 2 stars only two years ago.
Chronic absenteeism is a major red flag, with 38.6% of high school students chronically absent—more than 1.6 times the state average and nearly double the elementary school’s 20.5% rate. The elementary school also shows falling proficiency in upper grades (5th grade math drops to 33.3%), suggesting students enter middle school already behind. Still, there are bright spots at the high school, including 8th grade math improvement and a graduation rate of 86.7%, just below the state’s 89.2%. For parents, the story is clear: a solid elementary school feeding into a high school in urgent need of intervention, especially around attendance and literacy.
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