Summary:
Zip code 39157 contains 4 public schools in Madison County Schools, forming a complete PK-12 pathway: Ann E. Smith Elementary (PK-2), Highland Elementary School (3-5), Old Town Middle School (6-8), and Ridgeland High School (9-12). About 3,032 students attend these schools, and roughly 75% qualify for free/reduced lunch. The district ranks 20th out of 134 Mississippi districts and earns 4 stars, but performance across these four schools is uneven.
Old Town Middle School is the academic bright spot, ranking in the 69th percentile of Mississippi middle schools with perfect 100% proficiency in Algebra I and Biology end-of-course exams, far above state averages. It also beats state averages in most grade-level ELA and math subjects and has the lowest student-to-teacher ratio in the zip code at 11.8:1. By contrast, Ridgeland High School is the weakest link. Its graduation rate is just 82.1%, well below the district's 91.3% and the state's 89.2%, and chronic absenteeism affects 46.3% of students — more than double the district rate. The high school also trails both district and state averages in Algebra I, English II, and Biology.
Highland Elementary School sits in the middle, ranking at the 49th percentile statewide. It falls below district averages in most subjects, though 3rd grade math and ELA exceeded state averages recently. Ann E. Smith Elementary has no test data since it serves only PK-2, but it shows a healthy 17.3% chronic absenteeism rate. Excluding the high school, the elementary and middle schools have a collective chronic absenteeism rate near 18%, below the state's 23.9%. The takeaway: 39157 offers a complete K-12 pathway, with exceptional advanced coursework at the middle school level, but the high school years present the greatest challenges, particularly around attendance and graduation.
Thank you for your feedback!