Summary:
ZIP code 39476, serving the Richton, Mississippi area, is home to two elementary schools: Richton Elementary School (grades K–6, 305 students) in the Richton School District and Sand Hill School (grades PK–8, 267 students) in Greene County Schools. Both earned 3-star ratings in 2025–2026 and rank nearly identically statewide — Richton at the 52nd percentile and Sand Hill at the 50th percentile — despite serving very different student populations.
Each school reaches that middle-of-the-pack standing in a different way. Richton is a standout in mathematics: 5th grade math proficiency hit 75.0% and 6th grade hit 76.3%, both far above state averages of about 50%. After a rough 2024–2025, Richton improved dramatically, with 5th grade math and science each jumping 33 points and the school climbing from the 37th to the 52nd percentile. Sand Hill, by contrast, is a "beating the odds" story — nearly 99% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet its 5th graders outperformed state averages in ELA (70.4% vs. 55.8%), math (55.5% vs. 49.6%), and science (74.1% vs. 71.5%).
Both schools keep chronic absenteeism well below the 23.9% state rate (Richton 11.6%, Sand Hill 16.0%). The main concerns are Sand Hill's early-grade math (3rd grade 27.3% vs. 48.8% statewide) and a sharp ELA drop driven by 3rd grade falling from 56.0% to 39.4%, while Richton's 4th grade math is a weak spot. Sand Hill's upper-grade math is surprisingly strong given early struggles, suggesting effective later intervention. Because Sand Hill extends through 8th grade and Richton stops at 6th, fair comparisons are best made in grades 3–6, where the two schools are closer than their demographics would suggest.
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