Best High Schools in Zip Code 39301

Zip code 39301, in the Meridian, Mississippi area, contains two public high schools—Clarkdale High School (grades 7–12, 422 students) and Southeast Lauderdale High School (grades 9–12, 367 students)—both operated by the Lauderdale County School District, which ranks 18th out of 134 districts in the state.

Clarkdale High School is the clear academic standout. It ranks 14th in Mississippi (94th percentile) for 2025–2026, has earned 5 stars in each of the past three ranking cycles, and graduates 94.9% of its students. Southeast Lauderdale High School, by contrast, graduates 92.7%—and both schools beat the state's 89.2% rate. Clarkdale's proficiency is strong across subjects: 85.7% in Algebra I, 86.0% in Biology, and 77.2% in 8th-grade math. Southeast is the most improved school in the area, with its state ranking jumping from 121st (48th percentile) to 38th (83rd percentile) in a single year, while Biology proficiency climbed from 72.4% to 87.9% and Algebra I from 59.5% to 81.5%. Southeast actually edged out Clarkdale in Biology (87.9% vs. 86.0%) and has shown pockets of strength in science and social studies.

The largest academic divide is in English II, where Clarkdale's proficiency dropped sharply from 89.4% to 61.9%—a red flag worth monitoring—while Southeast improved from 44.8% to 50.0%, narrowing the gap but still leaving half its students below proficient. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic concern at both schools: Clarkdale's rate is 29.7% and Southeast's is 40.6%, both far above the state average of 23.9%. Economic disadvantage likely plays a role, as Southeast has a much higher free/reduced lunch rate (58.3%) than Clarkdale (41.9%), though student-teacher ratios are nearly identical (11.1 vs. 11.0). Reducing absenteeism, particularly at Southeast, and raising English II achievement at both schools are the most actionable steps for continued improvement.