Summary:
In zip code 39157, there is just one public high school: Ridgeland High School, serving grades 9–12 in Ridgeland, Mississippi, with an enrollment of 995 students. The school is part of Madison County Schools, a district ranked in the 85th percentile statewide (4 stars), which makes Ridgeland’s own performance stand out for the wrong reasons. The school currently ranks in the 38th percentile of Mississippi high schools (2 stars), down from the 52nd percentile the previous year.
Ridgeland High School faces significant challenges, most notably chronic absenteeism. In 2023–2024, 46.3% of students were chronically absent—more than double the district rate (20.4%) and nearly double the state rate (23.9%). The school also serves a high-poverty population, with 71.26% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Academically, Ridgeland trails its district in every subject tested. In 2025–2026, Algebra I proficiency was 58.8% versus the district’s 79.1%, Biology proficiency was 52.7% versus 70.5%, and English II proficiency was 44.6% versus 61.1%. Compared to the state, the school was below average in Algebra I and Biology, but slightly above the state in English II in 2024–2025 (50.8% vs. 49.5%). The graduation rate of 82.1% is well below the district’s 91.3% and the state’s 89.2%.
The combination of high absenteeism, high poverty, and declining test scores—Algebra I fell 6.6 points and English II fell 6.2 points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026—explains the school’s drop in state ranking. Despite a favorable student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1, outcomes lag considerably. The one bright spot is that Ridgeland has shown it can match the state average in English, though that edge faded in the most recent year. For parents, the key takeaway is that Ridgeland High School is working against significant socioeconomic and attendance barriers, and its performance is noticeably weaker than the rest of Madison County Schools. Targeted support around attendance and academic recovery will be essential to improving student outcomes.
Thank you for your feedback!