Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 38852

Elementary schools in zip code 38852 are served entirely by one school, Iuka Elementary School, which enrolls 414 students in grades K–4 and is part of the Tishomingo County School District, a 4-star district ranked 42nd out of 134 in Mississippi. The school has a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio and 66.67% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that roughly two-thirds of the student body comes from economically disadvantaged households.

Because Iuka Elementary is the only elementary school in the area, it is the standout by default, though its recent academic trajectory is concerning. Over the past three reporting years, its statewide rank dropped from 100 out of 390 (74th percentile, 4 stars) to 220 out of 377 (42nd percentile, 2 stars). MAAP test scores declined in every subject and grade level from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, with the steepest drops in 3rd grade math (-24.4 points) and 3rd grade English Language Arts (-17.4 points). In the most recent year, the school fell below both district and state averages in three of four tested areas; the lone exception was 4th grade ELA, where it outperformed both the district and state. A year earlier, the school was above district levels in most tested subjects, making the breadth of the recent decline especially notable.

Chronic absenteeism affects 24.4% of students — slightly above both the district (24.0%) and state (23.9%) — and may be a contributing factor to the academic slide. The school’s high poverty rate, along with its low student-teacher ratio, provides important context for these results. While the staffing capacity is a positive structural element, it has not yet translated into improved outcomes. Families in zip code 38852 have no other elementary school options, so the performance of Iuka Elementary is especially critical to the community. The school has demonstrated it can score above district and state averages in past years, suggesting there is capacity to recover — but reversing this trend will require focused support in early-grade math and reading, and attention to attendance.