Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 38732

There are four elementary schools in zip code 38732 serving the Cleveland, Mississippi area, all part of the Cleveland School District, and together they enroll 940 students across grades PK–6 with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Among the three schools with state test data, Parks Elementary School stands out as the strongest overall performer, ranking 271st out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools and posting the best English Language Arts scores in the group, including 6th grade ELA proficiency above the state average. Parks also showed big year-over-year gains in several subjects, though its math proficiency remains below the district average. D.M. Smith Elementary is a notable science standout, with 5th grade science proficiency at 70.7%—nearly matching the state average and far exceeding the district’s 57.8%. D.M. Smith has also improved its state ranking significantly over the past two years and has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 12.7. Pearman Elementary School is the area of greatest concern, ranked 375th out of 377 schools with very low proficiency in ELA, math, and science, and its ranking has declined steadily. Nailor Elementary School serves only grades PK–2, so it has no test-based ranking, but it has the highest chronic absenteeism rate (24.6%) and the highest student-teacher ratio (18.7) in the group.

Poverty is universal across these schools, yet academic outcomes vary widely—Parks outperforms Pearman by roughly 24 points in ELA and 17 points in math despite similar poverty levels. Interestingly, Pearman has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.0%) but the lowest test scores, suggesting attendance is not the main driver of performance. The district itself ranks in the 34th percentile statewide, but all three ranked elementary schools fall below that mark, indicating these schools are among the weaker ones in the district. For parents, Parks appears to be the strongest all-around choice, D.M. Smith offers excellent science instruction, Nailor is worth monitoring for early-grade attendance, and Pearman is in urgent need of intervention, especially in math.