Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Zip Code 39114

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Mississippi rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

1,632

Students

Top rankedSimpson Central School247^th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools

◉

Smallest classes

Simpson Central School 15.1 students per teacher

See the top-ranked Mississippi schools →

Summary:

ZIP code 39114 in Mendenhall/Pinola, Mississippi, is served by three public schools in the Simpson County School District, including Mendenhall High School (grades 7–12), Mendenhall Elementary School (PK–6), and Simpson Central School (K–8), all high-poverty schools with free/reduced lunch rates above 84%.

Simpson Central School is the clear standout in this area. It is the only 2-star school in the ZIP code, and despite its high poverty rate, it posts proficiency rates that beat the state in several subjects, including 7th grade ELA (52.2% vs. 36.7% statewide) and 5th grade math (68.8% vs. 49.6%). Its chronic absenteeism rate of 21.7% is actually below the state average of 23.9%, and its K–8 structure provides continuity through middle school. In contrast, Mendenhall High School faces serious challenges: more than half of its students (53%) are chronically absent, and its ranking has fallen to the 14th percentile. Still, it posts a respectable 88.1% graduation rate and showed relative strength on U.S. History and Algebra I end-of-course exams in 2024–2025, though those scores dipped in 2025–2026. Mendenhall Elementary School falls in between—it has bright spots like 4th grade ELA at 50.8% and 5th grade science at 62.4%, but math proficiency is inconsistent, with 5th grade math at just 27.3%.

All three schools have lost ground in state percentile rankings over the last two years, and chronic absenteeism clearly rises with grade level—from 21.7% at the K–8 school to 35.7% at the elementary school and 53% at the high school. Since poverty and class sizes are similar across all schools, the key differentiators appear to be school-level attendance culture and grade configuration. The K–8 model at Simpson Central School seems to provide stability that benefits students, while Mendenhall High School urgently needs attendance-focused interventions and stronger support for its 7th and 8th graders. For parents, Simpson Central stands out as the strongest option in the area, proving that high achievement is possible even in a low-performing district.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)						MAAP Mathematics (2026)						MAAP Algebra I (2026)	MAAP English II (2026)	MAAP Science (2026)		MAAP Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Mendenhall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	814 East Street	Mendenhall	39114	Simpson County	Simpson County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 847-2621	598	37	16.1	86.6%	273 (45.7%)	292 (48.8%)	14 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	26.2	296^th of 377 public elementary schools	21.5%		26.9	292^nd of 383 public elementary schools	23.8%	4	30.6	50.8	41.6	27.6			41.1	37.0	27.3	30.1					62.4			$11,389
Simpson Central School	Public	PK, KG-8	755 Simpson Hwy 28 W	Pinola	39114	Simpson County	Simpson County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 847-2630	388	26	15.1	84.0%	219 (56.4%)	150 (38.7%)	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	35.5	247^th of 377 public elementary schools	34.5%		53.4	178^th of 383 public elementary schools	53.5%	69	38.4	40.0	31.3	32.4	52.2	27.7	38.5	53.3	68.8	35.3	56.5	42.6			56.3	51.1		$12,631
Simpson County Achievement Center	Public, Alternative	1-12	177 Simpson Hwy 149	Magee	39114	Simpson County	Simpson County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 849-6135	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Mendenhall High School	Public	7-12	207 Circle Dr	Mendenhall	39114	Simpson County	Simpson County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 847-2411	646	41	15.6	85.9%	269 (41.6%)	359 (55.6%)	9 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	16.4	193^rd of 224 public high schools	13.8%		23.1	177^th of 232 public high schools	23.7%	16					15.8	31.2					19.7	33.3	37.2	40.0		39.7	37.0	$10,970
Simpson County Career and Technical Center	Public	8-12	3415 Simpson Hwy 49	Mendenhall	39114	Simpson County	Simpson County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 847-4000	0	7	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Cities Near Zip Code 39114

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Mendenhall	0.43 mi	3	185^th
Magee	9.13 mi	4	180^th
Puckett	10.06 mi	2	56^th
Pinola	13.56 mi	1	116^th
Florence	15.17 mi	6	33^rd

See the top MS Mississippi cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.