Summary:
Zip code 39428 (Collins, MS) is served by 3 schools in the Covington County School District — two elementary schools and one combined middle/high school — enrolling about 1,043 students in grades PK–12, all in a high-poverty rural area where nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch.
The clear bright spot is Hopewell Elementary School, which beats the state average in several subjects (including 6th grade math at 62.9% proficiency) and has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the zip code at 18.1%. In contrast, Collins High School is the most challenged: only 8% of Mississippi high schools rank lower, its chronic absenteeism rate is a staggering 47.8%, and its graduation rate (75.4%) lags the state by nearly 14 points. Meanwhile, Collins Elementary School — the largest school here — has been stuck at a 1-star rating for three straight years, with just 18.7% of 4th graders proficient in math.
Because poverty rates above 98% are nearly identical across all three schools, the big differences in performance point to school-level factors, especially attendance. Hopewell's low absenteeism coincides with its strong academics, while Collins High's absenteeism crisis clearly hurts its end-of-course exams and graduation rates. A shared trouble spot is 4th grade: both elementary schools see a sharp drop in ELA and math proficiency compared to state averages. Hopewell's state ranking has slipped recently despite strong absolute scores, but it still outpaces Collins Elementary by about 11–13 percentage points in average ELA and math. For parents, the biggest concern in this zip code is clearly Collins High School, and the most impactful fix would be improving attendance there while replicating Hopewell's successful approach in the other schools.
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