Summary:
Zip code 38671 is served by a single high school, Southaven High School, which enrolls 1,876 students in grades 9–12 and operates within the DeSoto County School District. With no other high schools in the area, Southaven High serves as the sole public high school for this community, and its performance is best understood in comparison with its district and the state of Mississippi.
Southaven High demonstrates a clear strength in graduating its students: the 2024–2025 graduation rate reached 95.3%, notably above the state average of 89.2%. However, the school consistently trails its district in academic performance. The district itself ranks in the 66th percentile of Mississippi districts, yet Southaven High has held a 2-star rating and ranked in the 33rd to 40th percentile statewide over the past three years. In every tested subject and year, the school finished double-digit points below the district average. For example, in 2024–2025 Algebra I proficiency was 69.5% (compared to 80.0% for the district), while English II proficiency was just 32.9% versus 54.0% for the district. Its strongest subject, Algebra I, slipped in 2025–2026 to 60.5%, falling below the state average.
The most pressing concerns are English language arts and attendance. English II proficiency improved to 41.2% in 2025–2026 but remains far below the district (55.0%) and state (49.3%). Chronic absenteeism is exceptionally high at 37.2% in 2023–2024, compared to 26.4% for the district and 23.9% for the state, even as the school's graduation rate stays strong. More than half of students (55.54%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, which provides important context for these challenges. Despite year-to-year subject swings, the school's overall state rank has remained stable, indicating that meaningful, wide-scale improvement has yet to take hold.
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