Summary:
Zip code 39562 in Moss Point, Mississippi, contains 5 public schools serving approximately 2,800 students in grades PK–12, split between the top-ranked Jackson County School District and the lower-performing Moss Point School District.
The four East Central schools in the Jackson County district are standouts. East Central Middle School is the highest-ranked school in the zip code, placing 12th among Mississippi middle schools (95th percentile) with a 5-star rating, and it has improved its rank for three straight years. Its math scores are especially strong—79.6% of 8th graders are proficient in math versus the state's 51.4%. East Central High School enrolls the most students (777) and ranks 20th among high schools (91st percentile), with a 91.1% graduation rate and standout results in Algebra I and Biology. East Central Upper Elementary has also climbed from 80th to 38th in state rankings, and its 5th-grade science proficiency is 88.4% versus the state's 71.5%. East Central Lower Elementary serves PK–2 with no test rankings but has moderate poverty and absenteeism levels.
By contrast, Escatawpa Upper Elementary in the Moss Point district is a severe outlier, ranking in the 11th percentile (337th of 377 elementary schools) with just a 1-star rating. It has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate and a 39.5% chronic absenteeism rate—far above the East Central schools (16–24%). Test scores are dramatically lower: only 22.3% of 4th graders are proficient in math versus 69.5% at East Central Upper Elementary. Interestingly, Escatawpa has the lowest student-teacher ratio (13.3:1) yet the weakest outcomes, suggesting poverty and attendance matter more than class size. While the East Central schools show what strong district support can achieve, Escatawpa highlights how high-need populations and chronic absenteeism create stark divides within the same zip code.
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