Summary:
Zip code 39426, located in Carriere, Mississippi, is served by one elementary school, Pearl River Central Elementary, which enrolls students in grades PK through 5 within the Pearl River County School District.
Pearl River Central Elementary is the only elementary school in the area, so families here have no within-zip competition for school choice. The school stands out on its own merits: it ranks 106th out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools, placing it in the 72nd percentile with a 4-star rating. Its district, the Pearl River County School District, ranks 13th out of 134 districts statewide—a 90th-percentile, 5-star performance. The school has also been improving, jumping from 125th to 106th in the state rankings between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 while improving from 3 stars to 4 stars.
Academically, math and science are clear strengths: 3rd grade math proficiency is 62.7% (+13.9 points vs. state), 4th grade math is 61.2% (+9.7), and 5th grade science is 85.3% (+13.8). Third grade ELA is also strong at 59.5% (+11.0), but 5th grade ELA is essentially tied with the state average, making upper-elementary reading the relative weak spot. Enrollment is large at 1,414 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 16.8. About 66% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet the school outperforms state averages in most subjects—a noteworthy high-poverty, high-performance profile. One concern is chronic absenteeism: 29.3% of students are chronically absent, well above the state average of 23.9%, though below the district's 32.5%. Year-over-year, 3rd grade ELA and 5th grade science improved strongly, while 4th grade math dropped significantly. For parents, this is a solid, improving school with excellent math and science outcomes, but upper-elementary reading and attendance are areas to watch.
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