Best Public Schools in Zip Code 39476

Zip code 39476 (Richton, MS) is served by three mid-performing, 3-star schools — Richton Elementary School (K–6, 305 students), Richton High School (7–12, 281 students), and Sand Hill School (PK–8, 267 students) — with a combined enrollment of 853 students across the Richton School District and Greene County Schools. There are no standalone middle schools in the area, so grades 7–8 are split between Richton High School and Sand Hill School.

Richton High School is the strongest school in the zip code by state rank, landing in the 57th percentile of Mississippi high schools with a 94.1% graduation rate (state: 89.2%). It excels in math — 78.5% proficient in Algebra I (state: 66.0%) — but struggles in 8th grade science (36.3%) and 8th grade ELA (27.3%). Richton Elementary School stands out for its low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.6% (district: 21.8%, state: 23.9%) and exceptional upper-elementary math, with 5th grade math at 75% and 6th grade math at 76.3% proficiency. However, its 4th grade math (26.3%) and 6th grade ELA (31.6%) lag well behind state averages. Sand Hill School serves an extremely high-poverty population — 98.88% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch — yet still earns 3 stars and outperforms the state in 5th grade ELA (70.4% vs. 55.8%) and 5th grade science (74.1% vs. 71.5%).

Across the zip code, mathematics is a clear regional strength, with all three schools posting above-state math results in at least one grade level. Chronic absenteeism splits the Richton School District dramatically: Richton Elementary is among the lowest in the area at 11.6%, while Richton High School sits at a concerning 32.7%, about 9 points above the state average. Science is a consistent weakness across all schools, with most science results falling below state averages. Finally, because enrollments are small, test scores are volatile year to year — for example, Richton Elementary's 4th grade math dropped from 52.7% to 26.3% in one year — so parents should view single-year results with caution and focus on multi-year trends rather than snapshots.