Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 39452

Zip code 39452 in Lucedale, Mississippi, serves 2,316 elementary students across six schools, all part of the George County School District, a 4-star district ranked 27th out of 134 in Mississippi. Four schools (Central Elementary School, Agricola Elementary School, Rocky Creek Elementary School, and Benndale Elementary School) serve PK–6, while LT Taylor Intermediate School serves grades 3–6 and LC Hatcher Elementary School serves PK–2. All schools report high economic need, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 56.5% to 74.7%.

Benndale Elementary School is the biggest success story, jumping from the 53rd to the 84th percentile over two years to become the top-ranked school in the group (60th of 377) despite a 72.5% poverty rate. It posted the highest single subject score — 94.1% proficiency in 5th grade science — and has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 9.7. Rocky Creek Elementary School is the model of consistency, holding at the 81st percentile for three straight years with the highest average ELA proficiency at 67.4%. Central Elementary School is the largest school at 660 students, ranking 89th with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (23.6%). LT Taylor Intermediate School is the main concern: ranked 197th, it has the lowest ELA (47.1%) and math (45.0%) averages, the highest absenteeism (32.0%), and the highest poverty rate (74.7%).

Science is a clear strength — all five tested schools beat the state average in 5th grade science, led by Benndale at 94.1%. Chronic absenteeism, however, is a district-wide concern: the district rate of 31.8% is well above the state's 23.9%, and only Central falls below the state average. Grade-level scores can swing sharply from year to year — Central's 3rd grade math dropped 32 points while Agricola's jumped 35 — reflecting the impact of individual classroom cohorts. Overall, poverty is high everywhere but does not fully predict performance: Benndale thrives despite high poverty while LT Taylor struggles, suggesting that school-level factors like attendance and student-teacher ratios make a meaningful difference.