Summary:
Zip code 39189 is home to one high school: Leake County High School in Walnut Grove, MS, which serves grades 7 through 12 with an enrollment of 266 students and is part of the Leake County School District. Because this is the only high school in the area, the analysis focuses entirely on this school's individual performance and trends.
Leake County High School's biggest strength is its graduation rate of 93.8%, which is well above the district's 82.1% and the state's 89.2%. This is especially notable given that 99.62% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a highly economically disadvantaged population. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.8:1, suggesting relatively small class sizes. However, the school struggles in other areas. Chronic absenteeism is 32.4%, meaning nearly one in three students is chronically absent, compared to about 24% statewide. SchoolDigger gives the school a 1-star rating, ranking it in the bottom 16% of Mississippi high schools for 2025-2026.
Academically, proficiency rates are below state averages in every reported subject for 2025-2026. For example, 8th grade science proficiency is 30% versus 57.8% statewide, and 7th grade math is 35.1% versus 57.7% statewide. The most dramatic data point is Algebra I, where proficiency dropped from 81.9% in 2024-2025 to 43.7% in 2025-2026, a 38-point swing that highlights the volatility common in a small school. On a positive note, the school outperformed its district in several subjects, including Biology (46.5% vs. 32.4%) and 8th grade ELA (35.0% vs. 26.2%). In summary, Leake County High School succeeds at graduating students despite high poverty and low test scores, but chronic absenteeism and declining academic performance remain serious concerns for parents to consider.
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