Summary:
Zip code 38947 is served by a single high school: J.Z. George High School in Carrollton, Mississippi. This combined middle/high school serves grades 7 through 12 and enrolls 343 students, making it part of the Carroll County School District. The district itself is currently ranked 127 out of 134 districts in Mississippi, and the school serves an extremely high-poverty population, with nearly 97% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. On a positive note, the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.6 to 1, which allows for relatively small class sizes.
Academically, J.Z. George High School faces significant challenges. Its statewide ranking has declined three consecutive years, dropping from 155th (2023-2024) to 187th (2024-2025) and now 196th (2025-2026). Proficiency rates lag the state average in nearly every tested subject, with particularly large gaps in 8th grade math (13.6% vs. 51.4% state), Biology (32.5% vs. 63.1%), and 7th grade ELA (11.1% vs. 36.7%). However, there is a notable bright spot: in 2024-2025, the school’s U.S. History proficiency rate of 74.1% actually exceeded the state average of 69.7%. Additionally, the graduation rate stands at 88.9%, nearly matching the state average of 89.2%, indicating that the school successfully guides most students to completion despite low test scores.
Year-over-year trends are mostly negative between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Proficiency fell in nearly every subject, including a dramatic 15-point drop in 8th grade math and a 9-point decline in both 7th and 8th grade ELA. Only English II and 8th grade science remained essentially flat, while no subject showed meaningful improvement. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, at 27.6% compared to the state average of 23.9%. For parents, this school offers a tight-knit, small-class environment and a strong graduation pathway, but urgent intervention is needed in math, English, and science, along with efforts to improve attendance. With targeted resources, the school’s structural advantages could help reverse the current downward trend.
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