Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 39301

Zip code 39301 in Meridian, Mississippi, contains two elementary schools—Southeast Elementary School (PK–4, 562 students) and Crestwood Elementary (K–5, 368 students)—that sit in different districts and serve very different student populations. Southeast belongs to the Lauderdale County School District, which ranks 18th out of 134 districts, while Crestwood belongs to Meridian Public Schools, which ranks 120th. The two schools have nearly identical student-teacher ratios (16.7 vs. 16.3), but markedly different poverty levels: 69.4% of Southeast students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to 99.18% at Crestwood.

The academic divide between these two schools is staggering. Southeast earns a 3-star rating and ranks 167th out of 377 schools (56th percentile), while Crestwood ranks 361st (4th percentile) with a 0-star rating. Southeast's average MAAP proficiency is 49.3% versus just 23.1% at Crestwood. The widest gap appears in 4th grade math: 57.1% proficiency at Southeast versus 15.1% at Crestwood in 2025–26, following a 50.3-point gap the year before. Crestwood's math struggles are severe across all grades—3rd grade is at 12.9% and 5th grade at 21.3%. Southeast, by contrast, beats the state average in 4th grade ELA (56.1% vs. 52.4%) and 4th grade math (57.1% vs. 51.5%). Crestwood's only relatively strong area is 5th grade science, where 49.2% of students are proficient.

Southeast is also improving, moving from 212th in 2024–25 to 167th in 2025–26. Both schools, however, face significant attendance challenges: chronic absenteeism is 29.5% at Southeast and 28.5% at Crestwood, both above the 23.9% state average. Since class sizes are nearly identical, the achievement gap is more likely tied to concentrated poverty and district-level resources. For parents in zip 39301, the academic comparison clearly favors Southeast, but Crestwood's results should be viewed in light of the far greater economic needs it serves. Families choosing between these two schools will find very different academic environments, and the district each school belongs to is a major part of that story.