Summary:
Zip code 39425, serving the rural Brooklyn, Mississippi area, is home to just one high school, Forrest County Agricultural High School, which serves grades 9–12 and operates as its own single-school district, Forrest County Agricultural High School. This school stands out for delivering strong academic results in core subjects despite serving a high-poverty student population, though it also faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism.
Forrest County Agricultural High School has consistently outperformed state averages in Algebra I, English II, and Biology across recent testing years. In 2024–2025, Algebra I proficiency reached 84.8% compared to the state’s 67.3%, and English II proficiency was 66.9% versus 49.5% statewide. The school’s graduation rate of 89.9% also edged past the state’s 89.2%. Its state ranking has been volatile, however, jumping from 105th in 2023–2024 to 21st in 2024–2025 (a 5-star rating) before settling at 65th in 2025–2026. With 77.22% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school’s academic performance is notable, and a favorable student–teacher ratio of 10.8 may help provide individualized attention.
The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism: 42.2% of students were chronically absent in 2023–2024, nearly double the state average of 23.9%. This disconnect between high test scores and low attendance suggests that regularly attending students perform well, but a substantial portion of the student body may be disengaged or facing barriers to showing up. U.S. History is also a relative weakness, with 68.6% proficiency slightly below the state’s 69.7% in 2024–2025. Because this is a single-school district, all accountability measures fall directly on the school, making its strong results and absenteeism challenge particularly clear. For parents, this school offers solid academics and a low student-teacher ratio, but attendance is an issue worth monitoring.
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