Best High Schools in Zip Code 39653

Zip code 39653, covering Meadville, Mississippi, is home to just one high school: Franklin High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 377 students. The school is part of the Franklin County School District, which ranks 84th out of 134 districts in Mississippi and carries a 2-star rating. Roughly 78% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage, while the student-to-teacher ratio of 8.7 suggests relatively small class sizes.

Franklin High has experienced a notable decline in its statewide standing, dropping from 133rd place in 2024–2025 to 165th in 2025–2026, with its star rating falling from 2 to 1. The graduation rate of 89.1% is essentially tied with the state average of 89.2%, but chronic absenteeism is a significant concern at 28.5%, well above the state rate of 23.9%. Academically, the school shows a mixed picture: Algebra I proficiency improved sharply from 44.8% to 56.7%, though it still trails the state average of 66.0%. English II proficiency declined from 46.2% to 39.6%, leaving a nearly 10-point gap behind the state. Biology remains the largest weakness at 42.3% proficient versus the state's 63.1%. The lone bright spot is U.S. History, where 72.6% of students were proficient in 2024–2025, outperforming the state average of 69.7%.

Because Franklin High is the only high school in its district, its performance directly shapes the district's overall ranking. The school's high chronic absenteeism rate and economic disadvantage are important context, but its near-average graduation rate shows students are staying on track to graduate. The most urgent priorities should be reducing absenteeism, strengthening English II and Biology instruction, building on the momentum in Algebra I, and examining why U.S. History succeeds so those strategies can be applied elsewhere. With focused effort, Franklin High has a solid foundation to reverse its recent ranking slide.