Schools in Zip Code 39540

Zip code 39540 is served by two schools—D'Iberville Elementary and D'Iberville Middle School—both part of the Harrison County School District, offering a K-8 pathway for roughly 870 students in a high-poverty area with no high school within the zip code. The district itself is strong, ranked 15th out of 134 districts in Mississippi with a 4-star rating. These two schools serve as a complete feeder system for students through 8th grade, after which they must leave the area for high school.

D'Iberville Middle stands out as a math powerhouse, beating district and state proficiency rates in most grades—notably with 72.2% proficiency in 6th grade math and 74.3% in 7th grade, compared to state averages around 53% and 58%. It has held a 4-star rating for three straight years and ranks in the 78th–81st percentile of Mississippi middle schools. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 14.4% is well below both the district (21.1%) and state (23.9%). Meanwhile, D'Iberville Elementary is beating the odds with near-universal poverty (99.46% free/reduced lunch) yet posting 3rd grade scores far above state averages—71.3% proficient in ELA and 66.7% in math. The elementary school made a major leap this year, going from slightly below the district to significantly above it in both subjects.

Comparing the two schools, the middle school is stronger in math across grades 4-7, while the elementary school excels in early literacy and numeracy. However, 8th grade is a relative weak spot, with ELA proficiency dropping from 61.6% last year to just 44% this year—a concerning 18-point decline. The elementary school also has a higher chronic absenteeism rate at 20.7%, close to the district rate, which is worth watching. Both schools are unusual in that the middle school starts at 4th grade, meaning students transition early. Overall, families in 39540 have two schools that consistently outperform state averages despite economic challenges, making this a solid choice for K-8 education, but 8th grade performance and attendance deserve attention.