Best Public Schools in Zip Code 38858

Zip code 38858 in Nettleton, Mississippi, is served by four public schools — Nettleton Primary School (K–2), Nettleton Elementary School (3–5), Nettleton Junior High (6–8), and Nettleton High School (9–12) — a complete K-12 feeder system enrolling 994 students within the Nettleton School District, ranked 60th out of 134 districts in Mississippi (3 stars). The schools serve a high-poverty population with free/reduced lunch rates between 80% and 84%, yet boast favorable student-teacher ratios of 12.3 to 14.2.

The clear standout is Nettleton Elementary School, which ranks in the 69th percentile statewide (116 out of 377) and outperforms the state in 5 of 7 tested subjects despite 82% free/reduced lunch. It is the only school in the zip code rated 3 stars, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency 19.6 points above the state. Nettleton Junior High, by contrast, sits around the 40th percentile and trails state averages in most subjects, while Nettleton High School improved from the 35th to 44th percentile and posts a 92.5% graduation rate above the state's 89.2% — but struggles with attendance.

Two patterns stand out. First, an "8th grade cliff" at Nettleton Junior High: 8th grade ELA proficiency collapses to 14.5% from 37.4% in 7th grade, and math falls to 27.6% from 57.8%. Second, chronic absenteeism rises sharply with age — 15.8% at Nettleton Primary School, 19.8% at Nettleton Elementary School, 23.7% at the junior high, and 47.1% at Nettleton High School, nearly double the state's 23.9%. This likely explains below-state proficiency in Algebra I and English II, even as Biology (74.4%) exceeds the state by 11.3 points. Science is a consistent district strength, with 5th grade science also above state at the elementary. Overall, the district is improving, but solving the secondary attendance crisis and the 8th grade slide are the keys to future growth.