Summary:
Zip code 38858 is home to two public elementary schools in Nettleton, MS, serving a combined 435 students in grades K–5 through the Nettleton School District. Both schools serve a high-poverty population, with more than 82% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch, and the district holds a 3-star rating, ranking 60th out of 134 districts in Mississippi.
Nettleton Primary School (K–2, 220 students) stands out for its low chronic absenteeism rate of 15.8%, well below the district's 28.1% and the state's 23.9%, suggesting strong early-grade attendance that builds a solid foundation for later learning. Nettleton Elementary School (3–5, 215 students) is the academic standout, delivering strong MAAP test results in 3rd and 4th grade—68.1% proficient in 3rd-grade ELA and 62.6% in 4th-grade ELA, both well above state averages. Science is also a bright spot, with 74.7% of 5th graders proficient, slightly above the state. Meanwhile, the school's state ranking leaped from 240th (36th percentile) in 2022–23 to 116th (69th percentile) in 2025–26, and its rating improved from 2 to 3 stars.
The biggest concern is a sharp decline by 5th grade: math proficiency drops to 35.8%, a full 13.8 points below the state average, and ELA slips slightly below the state as well. This pattern suggests that while early elementary grades are thriving, sustaining gains in upper elementary—especially math—remains a challenge. Even so, both schools outperform expectations given their high poverty levels, and together they form a complete K–5 pipeline where the primary school's strong attendance and the elementary school's steady academic improvements point to a district on an upward trajectory.
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