Summary:
In zip code 38751, which encompasses the Indianola area, there is one high school: Gentry High School, serving grades 10 through 12 with an enrollment of 465 students in the Sunflower County Consolidated School District. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population, with 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and it currently holds a 1-star rating, ranking 176th out of 232 Mississippi high schools.
Despite these challenges, Gentry's graduation rate of 91.4% exceeds both the district (85.1%) and state (89.2%) averages. However, chronic absenteeism is a significant concern: 59.1% of students are chronically absent, more than double the state average of 23.9%. Academic proficiency is below state averages in most core subjects; Algebra I and Biology proficiency sit at 33.3% each, roughly half the state rate. English II is a relative bright spot, with Gentry (34.5%) outperforming its district (27.9%), though still trailing the state (49.5%). U.S. History is the school's strongest subject at 55.4%, close to the district's 60.9% and the state's 69.7%.
Positively, Gentry has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.2 to 1, and its state ranking has improved modestly over the past three years, from the 20th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 24th percentile in 2024-2025. For parents, this school offers a supportive pathway to graduation with relatively small class sizes, but attendance and proficiency in math and science remain key areas in need of attention.
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