Best High Schools in Zip Code 39051

Zip code 39051 is served by a single high school, Leake Central High School, which enrolls 592 students in grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Leake County School District. The school stands out for the severe challenges it faces: the entire student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, chronic absenteeism is 35.7%, and the graduation rate is 79.0% — 10 points below the state average.

Academically, Leake Central is persistently in the bottom tier of Mississippi schools, ranking in the 8th–14th percentile over the past three years. On the 2025–2026 MAAP tests, just 37.5% of students were proficient in Algebra I, 38.2% in English II, and 29.2% in Biology, compared with state averages of 66.0%, 49.3%, and 63.1%. The largest gap is in Biology, a nearly 34-point deficit. That said, the school made meaningful gains from the prior year in both English II (+7.1 points) and Biology (+11.9 points), while Algebra I dropped by 7.5 points. In 2024–2025, the school was below the district in every subject, but in 2025–2026 it actually edged past the district in English II.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Leake Central serves a highly economically disadvantaged population and is battling attendance and graduation issues that directly tie into its academic performance. Chronic absenteeism affects more than one in three students, and the school's 79% graduation rate lags both the district (82.1%) and the state (89.2%). While there are signs of progress in English and Biology, the school remains well behind state averages, especially in math and science. The district itself is also low-performing, ranking in the 15th percentile of Mississippi districts. Any improvement plan will need to prioritize attendance, address poverty-related barriers, and provide targeted support in Algebra I and Biology.