Best Public Schools in Zip Code 38761

ZIP code 38761 is served by a single K‑8 school, Moorhead Central School, located in Moorhead, Mississippi, which enrolls 245 students across grades kindergarten through 8th grade as part of the Sunflower County Consolidated School District. Despite being a high‑poverty school where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, Moorhead Central stands out for its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.5%—less than half the district rate of 24.4% and well below the state average of 23.9%. The school also posted an impressive 80% proficiency rate on the Algebra I End‑of‑Course exam in 2024–2025, far exceeding both the district (52.1%) and state (67.3%), showing that advanced students can thrive here.

There are bright spots in recent test results, especially in middle school. In 2025–2026, 6th grade English Language Arts proficiency reached 56.3% (district: 35.5%) and 7th grade math hit 57.9% (district: 42.9%), both outperforming district averages. Year‑over‑year gains were dramatic in several areas: 7th grade math jumped from 6.7% to 57.9%, 8th grade ELA improved from 7.1% to 36.7%, and 6th grade ELA rose from 27.2% to 56.3%. These gains suggest targeted interventions or a particularly strong cohort of students in those grades. With a student‑teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1, classes are relatively small, which can support more individualized attention.

However, Moorhead Central faces serious challenges, especially in early‑grade math. In 2025–2026, only 4.5% of 3rd graders and 10% of 4th graders were proficient in math, compared to district rates of 47% and 30.4%. Reading proficiency also lags in several grades, particularly 5th grade ELA (17.2% vs. district 44.1%). Science scores swung wildly between years, and the school’s overall ranking remains low—338th out of 377 schools in 2025–2026, though that is an improvement from the prior year. Because this ZIP code has only one school, families have no school choice for grades K‑8, so the school’s uneven performance by grade and subject has a direct impact on the entire community. The strong attendance and pockets of academic success provide a foundation, but consistency across all grade levels is the key area for growth.