Summary:
Zip code 39045 contains just two schools, both part of Madison County Schools: Camden Elementary (grades K-5, 99 students) and Velma Jackson High School (grades 9-12, 224 students), with no middle school in the area and both schools serving very high-poverty populations where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
These two schools sit at opposite ends of the performance spectrum. Camden Elementary is the standout success, earning 3 stars and ranking in the 60th percentile of Mississippi elementary schools. Its 5th grade science proficiency is excellent at 87.5%, well above the state average of 71.5%, and chronic absenteeism is just 6.3% compared to the state's 23.9%. However, Camden's results are uneven — 3rd grade ELA and 4th grade math fall well below state averages, and small class sizes make year-to-year swings dramatic. Velma Jackson High School, on the other hand, is a serious concern: it ranks in just the 23rd percentile with a 1-star rating, is below both district and state averages in every subject, and saw Algebra I proficiency drop from 69% to 55% and English II proficiency fall from 45.3% to 30.8% in one year.
The most striking finding is the "cliff" between these two schools. Chronic absenteeism jumps from 6.3% at Camden Elementary to a staggering 41.6% at Velma Jackson High School, a rate nearly double the state average and likely a major driver of the high school's 83.3% graduation rate and weak test results. With no middle school in the zip code, students leave the area for middle school and return for high school, which may contribute to disengagement. Notably, both schools have very low student-teacher ratios around 6.7 to 1, yet Velma Jackson High School still struggles, suggesting attendance and student support matter more than class size. Targeted help with high school attendance and consistent math and literacy instruction would likely have the biggest impact.
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