Meridian Public Schools, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Meridian Public Schools

Meridian Public Schools serves students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. The district operates a sizable set of schools across the city of Meridian, including several elementary campuses, middle and junior high schools, Meridian High School, a prekindergarten academy, and the Ross Collins Vocational Center. Two elementary schools in the directory are marked as closed, which a parent may want to ask about when considering feeder patterns and campus assignments.

The student body is predominantly Black, with small percentages of Hispanic, white, Asian, and multiracial students. Enrollment is sizable for the region. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, and information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was also missing, so the picture of student support needs is incomplete.

On state assessments administered through Mississippi's MAAP, proficiency rates in math are low across all tested grades, with a modest share of students reaching proficient or above in any given grade. Results vary somewhat across grade levels, with middle grades showing slightly stronger outcomes than the early elementary years. English language arts results are a bit stronger than math, with the highest proficiency appearing in the upper elementary grades before tapering in middle school. Science is the district's relative bright spot, particularly in fifth grade, where a larger share of students reach proficiency than in other subjects and grades. Eighth-grade science is also stronger than most math and ELA results.

There are no multi-year trend data available, so it is not possible to say whether these results are improving, declining, or holding steady. A parent evaluating this district may want to ask the administration about current improvement initiatives and how recent results compare to prior years.

The district includes the Ross Collins Vocational Center, which points to a career and technical education pathway for high school students. Beyond that, the available data does not include specific program offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or extracurricular activities. Graduation rate data was not provided, nor were college or career readiness indicators. Course access and staffing details were also absent. A family interested in the academic pathway through high school would need to go directly to the district or Meridian High School for that information.

Housing in the district's zip codes is quite affordable relative to both Mississippi and national benchmarks. Home values across the district's coverage area sit well below the state average and far below national figures, though there is variation among Meridian's own zip codes, with some areas carrying higher values than others. Rents are also low relative to broader state and national patterns. The price-to-income ratio sits near the national benchmark, suggesting that for local wage levels, homeownership is within reach for many households. The local housing market has seen modest recent appreciation in some areas while others have softened slightly.

The district brief turned up no specific parent-relevant changes from recent meetings or initiatives that met the threshold for lasting impact. General district profile and accountability data exist, but nothing pointing to a major restructuring, program launch, or policy shift that a family would need to factor in right now. Lauderdale County's unemployment rate tracks near the national average, and median household income data is available only at the national series level, so local income conditions are not precisely captured here.

What the data describes is a district serving a predominantly Black student population in an affordable Mississippi community, with state assessment results that are generally low but show relative strength in science and some ELA grades. The vocational center adds a career-oriented option at the high school level. Gaps in program data, graduation rates, and student support metrics mean a family would need to supplement this picture with direct conversations with the district, particularly around academic improvement efforts, high school pathways, and support services.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,499

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 3%

Black 92%

White 3%

Asian 0%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Schools in this District

13 schools are officially reported under this district.

CRESTWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL

MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL

NORTHWEST JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

OAKLAND HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

POPLAR SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WEST HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

T J HARRIS ELEMENTARY

MARION PARK COMPLEX

ROSS COLLINS VOC CENTER

G.W. WASHINGTON CARVER ELEMENTARY

MERIDIAN PREKINDERGARTEN ACADEMY

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

18%

Grade 3

24%

Grade 4

20%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 6

27%

Grade 7

23%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

27%

Grade 3

34%

Grade 4

39%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 6

23%

Grade 7

25%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

47%

Grade 5

36%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$93,404

Year-over-year change+3.2%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$62K to $187K

vs. state typical0.48x

vs. national typical0.25x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39307	Meridian	$62K	+5.2%	61.6%
39305	Meridian	$187K	+1.0%	17.2%
39301	Meridian	$95K	-0.8%	15.5%
39330	Enterprise	$147K	-1.7%	5.7%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,450/mo

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,210 to $1,717/mo

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
39305	Meridian	$1,210	—	17.2%
39301	Meridian	$1,717	—	15.5%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$471/mo

Home price / national median income1.1x

Annual rent / national median income20.8%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$979/mo

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.