Summary:
Zip code 39117 contains one elementary school, Morton Elementary School, serving grades PK-4 with 686 students in the Scott County School District, a district ranked 54th out of 134 in Mississippi. Morton is the only elementary option in this area, so its performance defines the educational landscape for the entire community. The school serves a very high-poverty population, with 99.56% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 18.2.
The school's most recent rating places it 292nd out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools, putting it in the 23rd percentile with a 1-star rating. However, Morton has shown meaningful improvement over time: it ranked 354th out of 390 in 2023-2024 (9th percentile), jumped to 271st out of 383 in 2024-2025 (29th percentile), then slipped slightly to 292nd out of 377 in 2025-2026 (23rd percentile). Third-grade math is a genuine strength, with proficiency at 52.6% in 2025-2026, above both the state average of 48.8% and the district average of 52.2%. In the previous year, 3rd grade math reached 58%, also above the state average. However, this advantage does not persist: 4th grade math proficiency dropped to just 29.1% in 2025-2026 compared to the state average of 51.5%.
English Language Arts is a persistent weakness, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency at 28.7% in 2025-2026 versus 48.5% statewide, a gap of nearly 20 percentage points. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, affecting 31.5% of students, which is above the state average of 23.9%. For parents, this means the school faces significant challenges, but the improvement from the bottom 10% to the mid-20s percentile and the above-state 3rd grade math results suggest areas of resilience. Targeted support in English Language Arts and 4th grade math, along with efforts to improve attendance, would likely help Morton Elementary School continue its upward trajectory.
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