Best Public Schools in Zip Code 39092

Zip code 39092 is home to three public schools in the Scott County School District, serving approximately 801 students across grades PK–12 in a predominantly high-poverty area. The standout school is Lake Elementary School, which earned a 4-star rating and ranks in the 89th percentile among Mississippi elementary schools. It posts impressive proficiency rates — 68.4% in 3rd grade ELA and 68.9% in 4th grade math, both roughly 20 points above state averages — while maintaining the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (14.8%) in the area. This is especially notable given that nearly 99% of its students receive free or reduced-price lunch.

Lake Middle School also earned 4 stars, excelling in 8th grade with 74.2% math proficiency and 74.1% science proficiency, well above state levels, plus a perfect 100% proficiency rate on Algebra I. However, middle school ELA is a weak spot, particularly in 7th grade (32.5% proficient) and 5th grade (44.4%). Lake High School made the biggest leap, jumping from the 54th to the 76th percentile in a single year, with strong End-of-Course results in Biology (74%) and Algebra I (71.7%). Yet the high school also faces the most serious challenge: a 54.8% chronic absenteeism rate and an 80.9% graduation rate, both far worse than state averages.

All three schools improved their rankings and earned 4-star ratings in 2025–2026, showing a district on the rise. The clearest pattern is that chronic absenteeism climbs sharply with grade level — from 14.8% in elementary to 54.8% in high school — and this directly threatens the sustainability of academic gains, especially graduation rates. Reducing absenteeism, particularly at the high school level, and providing targeted literacy support in the middle grades could help these schools become top performers in Mississippi.