Summary:
Zip code 39463 is served by a single elementary school, Nicholson Elementary, which enrolls 324 students in grades K–6 and belongs to the Picayune School District. With 84.57% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, this is a high-poverty school, yet it shows some notable academic strengths.
In 2025-2026, Nicholson Elementary posted strong early-grade math results: 3rd grade math proficiency hit 67.5%, far outpacing the district (45.0%) and state (48.8%), and 4th grade math reached 54.1%, also above both averages. Third grade ELA was slightly above state and district levels as well. However, performance drops sharply in upper grades — 6th grade math proficiency was just 32.6% versus 51.1% in the district and 52.7% statewide, and 6th grade ELA was 38.8% compared to roughly 48% for both district and state. Fifth grade science was another weak spot at 60.4%, well behind the district's 72.6%. One major bright spot: 5th grade math jumped from a very low 15.7% in 2024-2025 to 45.8% in 2025-2026, a remarkable one-year gain. The school's statewide rank improved from the 31st percentile to the 49th percentile over that same period, though it still holds a 2-star rating.
The biggest concern is chronic absenteeism. A staggering 43.4% of Nicholson Elementary students were chronically absent in 2023-2024, compared to 30.2% for the district and 23.9% statewide. This likely contributes to the school's upper-grade declines and persistent ELA struggles, even as early-grade math excels. Despite high poverty and attendance challenges, Nicholson Elementary has demonstrated that meaningful academic gains are possible, and if it can replicate its early-grade math success in later grades while tackling absenteeism, it has strong potential to continue improving its state ranking.
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