Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 39042

Zip code 39042 in Brandon, Mississippi, is served by three elementary schools within the Rankin County School District, a 4-star district ranked 25th out of 134 in the state. These schools — Rouse Elementary (PK–1), StoneBridge Elementary (2–3), and Brandon Elementary (4–5) — operate as a grade-banded pipeline serving roughly 2,283 students across the full elementary span. Each school serves a similar share of economically disadvantaged students, with free/reduced lunch eligibility ranging narrowly from 40.7% to 42.3%, making the three schools highly comparable in terms of poverty exposure.

Brandon Elementary is the clear academic standout, earning 5 stars in each of the past three years and climbing from a statewide rank of 39 to 26. It outperforms the district and state in every subject and grade tested, highlighted by a 90.7% proficiency rate in 5th-grade science and exceptionally low chronic absenteeism of just 5.1% — less than one-fourth of the state's 23.9% rate. StoneBridge Elementary is the relative weak point; its 3rd-grade scores lag district averages in both ELA and math, and in 2024–2025 its math proficiency of 49.3% fell below the state average. Rouse Elementary, serving the earliest grades, has no test data but posts a 12.7% chronic absenteeism rate, the highest among the three though still well below state levels.

The most encouraging insight is the academic trajectory between StoneBridge and Brandon. The same cohort that posted 53.5% ELA proficiency and 49.3% math proficiency as 3rd graders at StoneBridge in 2024–2025 reached 67.9% and 71.4%, respectively, as 4th graders at Brandon the following year — gains of 14.4 and 22.1 points. While this cohort comparison is not a matched student-level dataset, the magnitude suggests Brandon is adding strong academic value. All three schools benefit from a districtwide attendance culture that keeps chronic absenteeism well below the state average. For parents, this zip code offers a well-structured elementary system with a standout upper-grade school, a middle-grade school with room to improve, and a solid foundation for early learners.