Summary:
Zip code 39556 in Kiln, Mississippi, is served by 4 schools in the Hancock School District—two elementary schools (PK–5), one middle school (6–8), and one high school (9–12)—enrolling about 3,105 students in a district ranked 9th of 134 in Mississippi with a 5-star rating.
The elementary schools are the clear standouts. East Hancock Elementary School ranks 3rd of 377 elementary schools in Mississippi (99th percentile, 5 stars), with exceptional math and science scores—91.8% proficiency in 4th grade math and 93.7% in 5th grade science. It also has the lowest poverty rate (48.5% free/reduced lunch) and lowest chronic absenteeism (17.9%) in the zip code. Hancock North Central School is the biggest improver, jumping from 50th to 13th in the state. Despite having the highest poverty rate (69.8%), it earns 5 stars and achieves nearly identical science scores (93.1% proficiency). Notably, North Central has the lowest student-teacher ratio (13.9:1), yet East Hancock ranks higher with a larger ratio (20.7:1), suggesting class size alone doesn't drive success.
Secondary schools are good but lag the elementary level. Hancock High School ranks 32nd of 224 high schools (86th percentile, 4 stars) with strong end-of-course scores—77.8% in Biology and 76.0% in Algebra I—but its graduation rate (88.7%) sits slightly below the state average and chronic absenteeism is high at 34.5%. Hancock Middle School is the relative weak link, ranking 68th of 260 middle schools (74th percentile, 4 stars). Its proficiency rates beat state averages but by much smaller margins, and chronic absenteeism (32.6%) is nearly double the elementary rates. The pattern of strong elementary performance followed by a middle school slowdown, plus rising absenteeism in secondary grades, represents the district's biggest opportunity for improvement.
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