Summary:
Zip code 39327 is served by a single high school, Newton County High School in Decatur, Mississippi, which enrolls 768 students in grades 7 through 12 within the highly rated Newton County School District (ranked 12th out of 134 districts statewide).
Newton County High School is the standout institution in this area, posting a 93.8% graduation rate compared to the state's 89.2% and earning a 4-star rating after climbing from 95th to 59th out of 224 schools in the latest ranking year. The school's greatest academic strengths are in STEM: 8th grade math proficiency reached 84.9% (33.5 points above the state), Algebra I hit 85.4%, and 8th grade science reached 85.8% (28 points above the state). These subjects have improved sharply year over year, reflecting a consistent and effective math/science program. However, ELA performance is uneven. While 8th grade ELA (65.1%) and 6th grade ELA (60.7%) exceed state averages, 7th grade ELA fell to 32.3% (4.4 points below the state) after a notable drop from 46.4% the prior year, and English II proficiency sits only modestly above average at 52.0%.
With 48% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, the school serves a significant economically diverse population while still outperforming the state in most subjects. Chronic absenteeism is a watch point at 21.9% — higher than the district's 18.0% but slightly better than the state's 23.9%. Given its broad grade span and strong recent gains in math and science, Newton County High School is clearly on an upward trajectory. The only area of concern is 7th grade literacy, along with absenteeism, but the overall picture is one of a high-performing school that exceeds state benchmarks in graduation and several key academic areas.
Thank you for your feedback!