Summary:
Zip code 39350, serving the Philadelphia, Mississippi area including the nearby Choctaw community, is home to three high schools: Neshoba Central High School (grades 9-12), Choctaw Central High School (grades 9-12), and Philadelphia High School (grades 7-12).
The standout school in the area is clearly Neshoba Central, which ranks #19 out of 224 Mississippi high schools with a 5-star rating, while its district, Neshoba County Schools, is ranked #3 out of 134 districts. Neshoba Central graduates 96.6% of its students and posts test proficiency rates well above state averages in Algebra I, English II, and Biology. At the other end, Philadelphia High School ranks #204 out of 224 with a 0-star rating, and its district, Philadelphia Public School District, is ranked #104 out of 134. Philadelphia’s graduation rate is 82.4%, and its proficiency scores are far below state averages in every core subject. Choctaw Central High School, part of the Choctaw Central High School district, has no reported ranking, graduation rate, or test scores, making it impossible to evaluate despite having the lowest student-teacher ratio (8.6) and nearly universal poverty (99.44%).
The gap between Neshoba Central and Philadelphia is dramatic: Neshoba’s Biology proficiency is 91.9% versus 31.7% at Philadelphia, and Algebra I proficiency is 78.1% versus 42.4%. Interestingly, Neshoba Central has a higher chronic absenteeism rate (30.3%) than Philadelphia (22.4%) and the state average, yet still outperforms the state. Neshoba Central also improved sharply from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, rising from #75 to #19 in state rankings. Poverty does not tell the whole story: Neshoba Central has 66% free/reduced lunch eligibility and still excels, while Philadelphia has 100% poverty and struggles. For parents, Neshoba Central offers the strongest academics and graduation outcomes in the zip code, while Choctaw Central’s lack of data is a significant blind spot.
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