Summary:
Zip code 39175 in Utica, Mississippi, is served by a single elementary school, Utica Elementary Mid School, a PK–8 campus with 304 students operating within the Hinds County School District in a community where every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch. With a student–teacher ratio of 12.6 and a chronic absenteeism rate of 20.6%, the school serves as the sole public elementary option for families in the area, meaning there is no within-zip school choice.
Because this is the only elementary school in the zip code, there are no local schools to compare it against. However, its performance has fallen dramatically in recent years. The school's state ranking dropped from the 44th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 27th percentile in 2024-2025, and then to the 5th percentile in 2025-2026, with its star rating falling from 2 to 0. Overall proficiency averaged across all tested subjects fell from 45.1% in 2024-2025 to 31.4% in 2025-2026, while the Hinds County School District average slipped only slightly from 45.1% to 44.5% and the state average held steady around 51.5%. That means Utica went from matching its district to falling more than 13 points behind it and about 20 points behind the state.
Despite the overall downturn, there are notable bright spots. In 2024-2025, 7th grade math proficiency was 76.7% — more than 21 points above the state — and 8th grade math outperformed both district and state in both years, with a 54.5% proficiency rate in 2025-2026 versus 51.4% statewide. The biggest concern is early elementary math: 3rd grade math proficiency was just 12.9% in 2025-2026, roughly 36 points below the state, with similar gaps of 25 points or more in 4th and 5th grade. Science performance has been inconsistent, with 8th grade science exceeding state averages in 2024-2025 before falling below them the next year. Chronic absenteeism, at 20.6%, is better than both the district (23.5%) and state (23.9%). For parents, this school shows genuine instructional strengths in upper-grade math but needs urgent attention in early elementary instruction.
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