Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best High Schools in Zip Code 38863

New rankings! Mississippi test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

1,167

Students

Districts

Top rankedPontotoc High School78^th of 224 Mississippi high schools

▲

Biggest riser

South Pontotoc High School up 22 spots statewide this year

See the top-ranked Mississippi schools →

Summary:

ZIP code 38863 in Pontotoc, Mississippi, is home to two public high schools—Pontotoc High School and South Pontotoc High School—both serving grades 9 through 12 and together enrolling about 1,167 students. They belong to different districts: Pontotoc High is part of Pontotoc City School District, while South Pontotoc is part of Pontotoc County School District. Both districts rank in the top quarter of Mississippi districts, but the schools themselves are closer to the middle of the state pack, with most recent rankings around the 65th percentile.

Academically, Pontotoc High stands out in math and history, with Algebra I proficiency at 79.6% (well above the state’s 66%) and U.S. History at 78.5%. South Pontotoc posts the higher English II score (57.5% vs. 55.1%) and a slightly higher Biology proficiency (67.0% vs. 62.4%). When it comes to graduation, South Pontotoc has the edge, graduating 92.2% of students compared to 88.1% at Pontotoc High—both around or above the state average of 89.2%. However, chronic absenteeism is a serious concern: South Pontotoc’s rate is 48.3% and Pontotoc High is 36.8%, both far above the statewide 23.9%.

Poverty levels differ sharply between the two schools, with 99.34% of South Pontotoc students qualifying for free or reduced lunch versus 70.65% at Pontotoc High—yet South Pontotoc still manages a higher graduation rate. Both schools have favorable student-teacher ratios (13.6 at Pontotoc, 12.2 at South Pontotoc). Test scores have also shown notable year-to-year swings, especially in Biology and Algebra I, so single-year results should be interpreted with caution. Overall, both schools are academically competitive in key subjects, but chronic absenteeism is the biggest red flag and the most promising area for improvement. South Pontotoc deserves credit for its strong graduation rate under difficult circumstances, while Pontotoc High demonstrates that strong math and history proficiency is achievable even with a significant share of economically disadvantaged students.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP Algebra I (2026)	MAAP English II (2026)	MAAP Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Pontotoc Ridge Career & Technical County	Public	9-12	354 Center Ridge Drive	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-1826	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
South Pontotoc High School	Public	9-12	1523 South Pontotoc Rd	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-5925	455	37	12.2	99.3%	373 (82.0%)	34 (7.5%)	41 (9.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	63.2	81^st of 224 public high schools	63.8%		59.5	103^rd of 232 public high schools	55.6%	22	64.3	57.5	67.0	$14,834
Pontotoc County Alternative Program	Public	5-12	354 Center Ridge Drive	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-4812	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pontotoc High School	Public	9-12	123 North Main Street	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-1275	712	52	13.6	70.6%	334 (46.9%)	193 (27.1%)	168 (23.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.1%)	64.2	78^th of 224 public high schools	65.2%		73.5	64^th of 232 public high schools	72.4%	14	79.6	55.1	62.4	$10,053

Cities Near Zip Code 38863

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Pontotoc	2.17 mi	10	46^th
Tupelo	9.39 mi	15	75^th
Ecru	10.02 mi	4	41^st
Belden	12.22 mi	1
New Albany	13.24 mi	6	21^st

See the top MS Mississippi cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.