Summary:
Zip code 39474 contains two schools in the Jeff Davis County School District — J. E. Johnson Elementary School serving grades PK–5 and Jeff Davis County Middle School serving grades 6–8 — with no high school in the area, meaning students must leave 39474 after 8th grade. The elementary school enrolls 335 students, while the middle school enrolls 262.
Jeff Davis County Middle School is the higher-performing school, with a 2-star rating and a state rank of 159 out of 260 middle schools, compared to J. E. Johnson Elementary School's 1-star rating and 298th place out of 377 elementary schools. The middle school averages about 40% MAAP proficiency, while the elementary school averages 39.5%. However, the elementary school improved dramatically from 33.8% last year, with 3rd grade math jumping from 22.4% to 39.6% and 4th grade ELA rising from 17.8% to 34.5%. The middle school's 7th grade math proficiency of 56.5% nearly matches the state average of 57.7%.
Both schools serve communities with extreme poverty — nearly 99% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and chronic absenteeism rates around 23%. Although the middle school outperforms the elementary school overall, both face significant gaps in math: 4th grade math at the elementary school sits at 29.1% versus the state average of 51.5%, and 6th grade math at the middle school is just 23.2% versus 52.7% statewide. The Jeff Davis County School District ranks 87th out of 134 districts in Mississippi. Bright spots include the elementary school's strong 5th grade science results at 64.3% proficiency and the middle school's near-parity in 7th grade math, suggesting that students here can approach state standards when instruction and support align.
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