Summary:
ZIP code 38879 in Verona, Mississippi is served by a single elementary school, Verona Elementary School, which enrolls 364 students in grades PK–4 within the Lee County district. This is a high-poverty school, with 99.18% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and it has persistently ranked in the bottom decile of Mississippi elementary schools. In 2025–2026, Verona Elementary ranked 348th out of 377 schools (8th percentile) with a 0-star rating, though its percentile has slowly improved from 2nd in 2023–2024 to 7th in 2024–2025 and 8th in 2025–2026.
On the 2025–2026 MAAP tests, Verona Elementary's proficiency rates were well below both district and state averages in every subject and grade. In 3rd grade English Language Arts, only 23.8% were proficient versus 51.6% in Lee County and 48.5% statewide. In 4th grade ELA, 27.5% were proficient, compared to 46.0% for the district and 52.4% for the state. Mathematics scores were even lower: 3rd grade math saw just 18.8% proficient, a gap of 30 percentage points behind both the district (48.9%) and state (48.8%). The school's best result was 4th grade math at 30.4% proficient, still 21 points below the state average. Comparing year to year, 3rd grade math fell sharply from 34.2% to 18.8%, while 4th grade math improved from 22.2% to 30.4%.
Despite these academic challenges, there are some encouraging signs. Chronic absenteeism at Verona Elementary was 21.4% in 2023–2024, lower than the district's 26.2% and the state's 23.9%. The student-teacher ratio is also favorable at 12.3, allowing for more individualized attention. Fourth graders outperformed third graders in both subjects in the most recent year, suggesting possible progress as students advance. However, the overall picture remains one of significant need, with proficiency rates consistently 20–30 points below state averages, particularly in early grade mathematics. For parents, this is a school with dedicated staffing and reasonable attendance, but it faces major obstacles tied to near-universal poverty and will require substantial academic support to close the achievement gap.
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