Jefferson Co School Dist, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Co School Dist

Jefferson CountySchool District is a small, rural Mississippi district serving prekindergarten through twelfth grade across Jefferson County, with Fayette as its principal community. The district enrolls roughly a thousand students, nearly all of whom are Black. The school list includes Jefferson Co Elementary, Jefferson County Middle School, Jefferson Co High, the Fayette Voc Center, and Jefferson County Alternative School. Two former campuses, Jefferson County Upper Elementary and Jefferson Co Jr Hi, are now closed. We looked for recent district-level changes such as policy shifts, curriculum updates, or tax measures and found little of lasting impact publicly reported, so we left that aside rather than guess.

State assessment results from the 2024-25 MAAP give a clear and consistent picture. In the early grades, the district performs reasonably well. Third and fourth grade math proficiency sits above the halfway mark, and ELA results at those same grades are similar. These are the district's strongest results and suggest that foundational instruction in the elementary years is landing with a meaningful share of students.

The picture shifts as students move into the upper elementary and middle grades. Fifth grade math proficiency drops sharply from the fourth grade level and stays low through eighth grade, bottoming out in the later middle grades. ELA follows a similar arc, with proficiency declining from the early elementary grades into sixth and seventh, where it reaches its lowest point, before ticking back up somewhat in eighth grade. Science, tested only in fifth and eighth grades, lands in a middling range, with eighth grade science stronger than fifth. The overall pattern is one of a district that does better with younger learners and then sees proficiency fall as the content gets harder and the grades advance. A parent considering this district, particularly for a middle school student, may want to look into what the schools are doing to address that decline and what supports are available.

Several data categories that parents often rely on were not available in what we received. Free and reduced-price lunch counts are missing, as are individualized education program rates and English learner counts. No graduation rate was provided. Civil rights data on discipline, course access, and staffing was absent as well. No information on AP courses, dual credit, career pathways, or other program offerings was included, though the presence of a vocational center suggests some career and technical education is available at the secondary level. The absence of these figures means the academic results and demographic profile are the main evidence we have.

The housing market in Jefferson County is among the most affordable in the state. Weighted home values across the district's zip codes sit far below the Mississippi state benchmark and roughly a third of the national figure. The largest concentration of housing value comes from the Fayette area. Values have been declining over the past year, with some zip codes seeing steep drops. A standard price-to-income ratio here sits well below what most American communities show, meaning homeownership is financially accessible for working families relative to income, though the declining market reflects broader economic pressure in the area. Rental data was not available.

Jefferson County is a close-knit, rural community with limited economic dynamism, and the school district is the central public institution for most families who live there. The district's near-uniform racial composition reflects a community where most residents are Black, and the schools serve as a shared civic anchor. For families already rooted in Jefferson County, the elementary schools appear to be doing solid foundational work, the vocational center offers a practical pathway for older students, and the middle grades are where attention from parents and educators is most needed.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,045

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Black 99%

White 1%

Asian 0%

Two+ 0%

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

JEFFERSON COUNTY UPPER ELEMENTARY

FAYETTE VOC CENTER

JEFFERSON CO ELEM SCHOOL

JEFFERSON CO HIGH

JEFFERSON COUNTY ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL

JEFFERSON CO JR HI

JEFFERSON COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

57%

Grade 3

54%

Grade 4

25%

Grade 5

22%

Grade 6

21%

Grade 7

19%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

59%

Grade 3

52%

Grade 4

32%

Grade 5

17%

Grade 6

11%

Grade 7

24%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

33%

Grade 5

39%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$111,409

Year-over-year change-18.2%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$79K to $154K

vs. state typical0.57x

vs. national typical0.30x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39069	Fayette	$79K	-25.4%	33.2%
39096	Fayette	$120K	-18.4%	31.0%
39668	Hazlehurst	$147K	-11.3%	17.1%
39120	Natchez	$116K	-12.0%	12.2%
39144	Pattison	$132K	-14.4%	4.7%
39653		$154K	+0.0%	1.7%
39661	Roxie	$144K	-6.7%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$562/mo

Home price / national median income1.3x

Comparison

State typical home value$194,242 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.