Summary:
Zip code 39213 in Jackson, Mississippi, contains five schools — all part of the Jackson Public Schools district — serving elementary and middle school students (PK–8) with no high schools in the area, and every school serves a student body where 99–100% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The district itself is rated well below average, but school-level performance in this zip code ranges from some of the best middle schools in the state to some of the lowest-performing schools in Mississippi.
The two clear standouts are Bailey APAC Middle School and Northwest Middle School, which rank in the 87th and 88th percentiles statewide, respectively. They post extraordinary Algebra I proficiency rates (95–96%) and outperform both district and state averages in nearly every subject. They also share the same campus address and have the lowest student–teacher ratios in the zip code. In contrast, Powell Middle School — the largest school with 704 students — ranks in the bottom 0–3 percentile, with 8th grade ELA proficiency at just 8.4%. Among elementary schools, Walton Elementary School is the strongest and most improved, jumping from the 16th to 34th percentile over three years, while Johnson Elementary School struggles at the 4th percentile.
Chronic absenteeism tracks performance closely: Powell and Johnson both have 37.4% chronic absenteeism, while Walton is remarkably low at 8.9%. Larger class sizes and higher student–teacher ratios also correlate with weaker outcomes — the two high-performing middle schools have ratios near 10–11:1, versus 16:1 at the elementary schools. The biggest takeaway for parents is that zip code 39213 offers dramatic contrasts: exceptional middle school options at Bailey and Northwest, a promising elementary choice at Walton, and other schools that require careful consideration. Since there are no high schools in the zip code, all students will need to leave the area for 9th grade.
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