Schools in Zip Code 39328

Zip code 39328 in De Kalb, Mississippi, is served by three public schools in the small, high-poverty Kemper County School District: Kemper County High School (grades 9-12, 304 students), Kemper County Middle School (grades 6-8, 191 students), and KCSD Upper Elementary School (grades 4-5, 108 students). The high school posts an exceptionally high 96.8% graduation rate, far above the state's 89.2%, but has the district's highest chronic absenteeism (35.4%) and very low proficiency rates in English II (24.5%) and Biology (30%). Algebra I is its strongest subject at 58.3% proficiency, though still behind the state average.

Kemper County Middle School stands out for dramatic 8th-grade turnaround, with proficiency jumping by 16.8 points in ELA, 26.1 points in math, and 28.1 points in science in the latest school year, bringing 8th-grade math close to the state average. However, 7th-grade math declined by 9 points, highlighting inconsistency. KCSD Upper Elementary School boasts the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 19.7% and the strongest elementary reading scores, but 5th-grade math proficiency sits at just 20%—a massive 28.3-point gap from the state average and a steep drop from the 4th-grade math score of 43.2%.

All three schools hold 1-star ratings and rank in the bottom quarter of Mississippi schools, serving a fully low-income population with 100% free/reduced-price lunch eligibility. District-wide, English/Language Arts is a clear weakness, while low student-to-teacher ratios (between 7.1 and 11.0) have not translated into consistently strong test scores. The positive signals—high graduation rates, strong 8th-grade math/science improvements, and better elementary attendance—show pockets of success, but translating these into reliable district-wide academic achievement remains the central challenge for the Kemper County School District.