Summary:
Zip code 38804 in Mississippi contains 4 schools in the Tupelo Public School District, serving grades K-6 with no high school in the area. The district is ranked 59 out of 134 districts in Mississippi, earning a 3-star rating. The four schools are Lawhon Elementary School (grades 2-5, 575 students), Milam Elementary School (6th grade only, 456 students), Joyner Elementary School (K-2, 444 students), and Carver Elementary School (K-1, 312 students), totaling 1,787 students. Because state testing starts in 3rd grade, Carver and Joyner have no current test scores, meaning roughly 42% of students lack measured academic performance data.
Milam Elementary School is the strongest academic performer. Its 6th grade ELA proficiency is 52.2% versus 48.0% statewide, and 6th grade math is 57.0% versus 52.7% statewide. Milam also has the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.3:1) and lowest free/reduced lunch rate (66.67%) in the ZIP code. Lawhon Elementary School is the only school tested across grades 3-5, with mixed results including a dramatic 4th grade math improvement from 46% to 56.6% in one year and strong 5th grade science (75.2% proficient). However, 3rd grade math (37.7%) and 5th grade ELA (45.9%) trail state averages. Joyner Elementary School excels at attendance with an 18.3% chronic absenteeism rate, far better than the district's 29.3%.
Several patterns stand out. Milam Elementary School's 6th grade scores match the district's exactly, confirming it is the only 6th grade school in the district. Chronic absenteeism does not follow poverty patterns: Joyner has high poverty yet the best attendance, while Milam has the lowest poverty but worst absenteeism at 30.7%. Science is a clear strength wherever tested. Carver Elementary School earned a 4-star rating in 2008, showing historical success, though families should not treat that as current performance. Finally, there is no high school in 38804, so students transition to schools outside the ZIP code for 7th grade and beyond.
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