Summary:
Zip code 38966 in rural Mississippi contains just one high school, West Tallahatchie High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 and enrolls 297 students as part of the West Tallahatchie School District. Because it is the only school in the district for these grades, the school’s performance is effectively the district’s performance, and any changes directly impact the district’s overall ranking.
West Tallahatchie High School serves a student body where nearly all students (98.99%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the chronic absenteeism rate of 41.5% is nearly double the state average of 23.9%. The school’s graduation rate is 80.0%, below the state’s 89.2%, and its statewide ranking has slipped from the 33rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 17th percentile in 2025–2026. Academically, most test scores trail state averages significantly. The largest gaps are in 8th grade science (25.6% proficient vs. 57.8% statewide), 8th grade math (25.6% vs. 51.4%), and 7th grade ELA (15.3% vs. 36.7%). High school end-of-course exams also lag, with Algebra I at 50.0%, English II at 31.3%, and Biology at 46.2% — all below state averages.
There is one notable bright spot: 7th grade mathematics. Proficiency jumped from 24.5% in 2024–2025 to 61.5% in 2025–2026, now exceeding the state average of 57.7%. Modest gains also appeared in 8th grade ELA, 8th grade math, 8th grade science, and Biology. However, these improvements did not lift the school’s overall ranking, largely because chronic absenteeism and the graduation gap remain major barriers. For parents, this school faces significant challenges tied to poverty and attendance, but the dramatic 7th grade math improvement shows that targeted efforts can lead to real progress, even in a high-poverty setting.
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