Summary:
Zip code 39355, in the Quitman, Mississippi area, is home to 4 public schools serving grades PK-12 through the Quitman School District, enrolling about 1,459 students across Quitman Lower Elementary (PK-2), Quitman Upper Elementary School (3-5), Quitman Junior High School (6-8), and Quitman High School (9-12).
Quitman Upper Elementary School is the clear standout in this district, ranking at the 46th percentile statewide and posting math proficiency rates that meet or beat state averages in grades 4 and 5. At the other end of the spectrum, Quitman Junior High School is the area of greatest concern, ranking at just the 14th percentile with proficiency rates well below state averages in every subject; only 13.8% of 8th graders are proficient in math versus 51.4% statewide. Quitman High School graduates students at a strong rate of 95.6%, exceeding the state average of 89.2%, yet it also reports a troubling 46.5% chronic absenteeism rate. Quitman Lower Elementary has no test data reported but shows a notably high student-teacher ratio of 38.6 to 1, which may point to large class sizes.
Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide problem, with every school exceeding the state average of 23.9% and the high school approaching half its students chronically absent. English Language Arts is another major weakness at the secondary level, with only 33.8% of students proficient in English II at the high school and just 15.9% of 7th graders proficient in ELA at the junior high. The district serves a high-poverty population, with 75-82% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. While Quitman Upper Elementary School shows what is working, the rest of the district faces significant challenges in attendance, literacy, and math achievement that will require focused attention.
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