Summary:
ZIP code 39204 in Jackson, Mississippi contains four elementary schools serving grades K-5 (with Key Elementary School also serving Pre-K) and enrolling between 244 and 482 students, all part of the Jackson Public Schools district and serving overwhelmingly high-poverty populations with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility above 99%.
Isable Elementary School stands out as the highest-ranked school in the ZIP code at 340 out of 377 statewide (10th percentile), boosted by strong math momentum—3rd grade math jumped from 3.8% to 35.7% proficiency and 5th grade math reached 40%. Bates Elementary School is the largest school with 482 students and posts the strongest ELA scores in the group, but has the highest chronic absenteeism rate in the ZIP code at 45.6%. Wilkins Elementary School is the science standout, with 52% of 5th graders proficient in science—the best subject result in the area—yet remains low-ranked at 367 of 377. Key Elementary School has the best attendance (15.7% chronic absenteeism, below the state average) and the smallest classes (15.9 students per teacher), but ranks last in the state at 377 of 377, with 0% proficiency in 5th grade math.
Every school in this ZIP code falls below state averages in every tested subject. The strongest math score in the area is Isable's 5th grade at 40% proficiency, still nearly 10 points below the state average of 49.6. Chronic absenteeism is a serious challenge, with Bates and Wilkins well above the district average of 30.1%. Math proficiency is both extremely low and highly volatile, with dramatic year-to-year swings such as Isable's 3rd grade math jumping from 3.8% to 35.7% and Key's 4th grade math falling from 34.9% to 7.9%. The data shows that smaller classes and better attendance do not guarantee academic success—Key demonstrates this clearly. While Bates, Wilkins, and Isable all improved their overall proficiency from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, the entire district remains in the bottom 16% of Mississippi school districts, highlighting the systemic challenges facing these schools.
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