Schools in Zip Code 39443

Zip code 39443 is home to 6 public schools — four elementary schools serving grades PK–6 and two high schools serving grades 7–12 — all part of the Jones County School District, which is ranked 34th out of 134 districts in Mississippi. With no standalone middle schools, students move directly from elementary into a combined middle/high school, and roughly 71.5% of students across the area qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Glade Elementary is the strongest elementary school in the area, ranking 132nd of 377 Mississippi elementary schools with standout 3rd grade math (85.7% proficient) and 5th grade science (86.9%) scores, though it shows a noticeable dip in 6th grade. East Jones Elementary is close behind at 159th, with exceptional 3rd grade ELA and math (74.8% each) and a strong +25.2-point improvement in 6th grade ELA. North Jones Elementary is the biggest concern, ranking 291st with the lowest proficiency levels and the highest poverty rate (82.4%). Among high schools, Northeast Jones High School now leads, ranking 108th of 224, with a 93.2% graduation rate, an outstanding 80.6% Biology EOC proficiency, and the area's best student-teacher ratio (10.4:1). West Jones High School, the largest school at 1,587 students, slipped significantly from 81st to 128th in ranking, with declines in Biology and English II.

Both high schools perform above state averages in 7th and 8th grade math but fall below state averages in Algebra I and English II end-of-course exams, suggesting students aren't carrying their middle-grade momentum into high school. Chronic absenteeism is roughly double at the high schools (26–30%) compared to the elementary schools (16–23%), though Northeast Jones still posts the highest graduation rate. Overall, families in this area see wide variation — from Glade's 65th percentile ranking to North Jones' 23rd — but the district's above-average 4-star rating and clear peer-to-peer learning opportunities make this a community with both bright spots and urgent areas for support.