Summary:
Zip code 39365 is home to a single elementary school, Union Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 4 and enrolls 410 students as part of the Union Public School District. This high-poverty school, where 99.27% of students receive free or reduced lunch, is situated in a district that ranks 19th out of 134 districts in Mississippi, earning a 4-star rating.
Academically, Union Elementary School shows a striking pattern. In the 2025-2026 school year, 3rd graders scored dramatically above state averages, with 67.6% proficient in English Language Arts and 67.2% in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 48.5% and 48.8%. However, 4th graders fell well below state averages, with just 44.0% proficient in both subjects. This grade-level drop-off is also visible in cohort trends: the same group of students who scored 53.9% in ELA and 56.6% in math as 3rd graders in 2024-2025 dropped to 44.0% in both subjects as 4th graders in 2025-2026. Consequently, the school's state ranking has slipped from the 91st percentile (5 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 63rd percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026.
Other data points offer context. Chronic absenteeism at Union Elementary School is 19.3%, slightly above the district rate of 19.0% but below the state average of 23.9%. The school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.9:1, which supports individualized attention. For parents, this school demonstrates that strong early-grade instruction is possible even in high-poverty settings, but the significant 4th grade decline warrants attention. The district's high rating provides some assurance, but the school's own downward trend in rankings over the past two years is something to watch closely.
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