Summary:
ZIP code 39073 serves Florence, Mississippi, with six public schools—three elementary, one middle, and two high schools—enrolling 3,378 students across the Rankin County School District. The district itself is a strong 4-star system, ranked 25th out of 134 districts statewide, with schools ranging from Steens Creek Elementary's PK–2 program to Florence High School's 9–12 configuration.
The standout performers are in the Florence feeder pattern. Florence Elementary is the academic star, ranked 5th in the state (99th percentile) with 92.9% 5th-grade science proficiency and the area's lowest chronic absenteeism at 9.5%. Florence Middle School is a math powerhouse, ranked 19th (93rd percentile) with an extraordinary 98.6% Algebra I proficiency. Florence High School posts a strong 95% graduation rate. On the other side, McLaurin High School struggles with 24.1% chronic absenteeism and just 44% 8th-grade math proficiency. McLaurin Elementary, however, is the most improved school in the area, jumping from 126th to 53rd statewide in two years, including a dramatic 5th-grade math gain from 47.4% to 77.4% proficiency.
A clear divide exists within this ZIP code: the Florence-side schools average 45% free/reduced lunch and 13% absenteeism, while the McLaurin-side schools average about 74% poverty and 22% absenteeism. High schools are the weakest link despite excellent feeder schools, and McLaurin High School has the lowest student-teacher ratio (8.6:1) yet the lowest achievement—proving that attendance and poverty matter more than class size alone. Chronic absenteeism is the biggest differentiator, and reducing it at the McLaurin schools could be the highest-leverage intervention available.
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