Smith Co School Dist, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Smith Co School Dist

Smith County School District is a rural Mississippi district serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across a handful of communities in Smith County. The district operates six schools: Raleigh Elementary, Raleigh High School, Mize Attendance Center, Taylorsville Attendance Center, the Smith County Career Center, and the Community Learning Center. Raleigh serves as the county seat, and the district's enrollment is spread across the towns of Raleigh, Mize, and Taylorsville, with small portions reaching toward Morton, Lake, and Magee. This is a place where the towns are small and close-knit, and the schools function as community anchors rather than just instructional sites.

The student body is moderate in size for a rural Mississippi district, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grade levels. The district's racial composition is predominantly white, with a substantial Black minority and very small shares of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility was not reported, so the economic profile of the student body is not available from the district's own figures. Similarly, IEP and English-learner counts were missing, which limits the picture of special-population services. A parent wanting to understand how the district supports students with disabilities or English learners would need to ask the district directly.

On state assessments, Smith County's results paint a mixed but recognizable picture. The district uses Mississippi's MAAP assessments, and the most recent results show math proficiency that runs from moderate to strong across the elementary and middle grades. Third, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade math all sit above the midpoint, with seventh grade being the district's strongest showing. Fourth and fifth grade math dip lower, suggesting an uneven patch in the upper elementary years. Science results are a relative bright spot, with fifth and eighth grade both showing solid proficiency.

English language arts is where the district is weaker. Proficiency declines steadily from third grade through the middle grades, with seventh grade being the lowest point. Eighth grade recovers somewhat but remains modest. The pattern suggests that students arrive with reasonable early literacy skills, but that reading and writing growth slows as they move into the upper elementary and middle school years. This is a common pattern in rural districts, and a parent may want to look into how the district structures literacy intervention in the middle grades and what supports exist for students reading below grade level.

The district includes a dedicated career center, which points to a commitment to career and technical pathways alongside the traditional academic track. The presence of the Community Learning Center also suggests some alternative or supplemental programming, though the data does not describe its specific function. No information on AP course access, dual-credit offerings, or specific CTE programs was available, so families interested in advanced academic or career pathways should ask the district what is currently offered at Raleigh High and the career center.

Housing in Smith County is affordable by any standard. The district's weighted home values sit well below the state benchmark and far below national figures, reflecting the rural, small-town character of the communities. Rental data is sparse, limited to a single zip code, so the rental picture is incomplete. For families looking to buy, the price-to-income ratio is favorable, and mortgage costs are modest relative to typical household incomes. Towns within the district vary somewhat, with Mize and the Raleigh area showing slightly higher home values than Morton or the Louin area, but all remain in an affordable range compared with state and national markets.

The district brief search returned little in the way of recent policy, curriculum, or facilities changes. This does not mean nothing is happening; it means publicly reported information was thin at the time of this summary. Families should check with the district office or school board minutes for current strategic priorities.

What the available data shows is a rural district with moderate academic results, a science program that outperforms its other subjects, a math program that holds its own in most grades, and an English language arts pattern that weakens through the middle grades. It serves a small-town community where housing is inexpensive and the schools are the central civic institution. For a family weighing whether this district fits, the relevant questions are how the district addresses its literacy decline in the middle grades, what the high school and career center offer for college and career preparation, and how the district serves students who need individualized support. The data here gives a starting frame, but those conversations with the district will matter.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,521

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 1%

Black 29%

White 68%

Asian 0%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

MIZE ATTENDANCE CENTER

RALEIGH HIGH SCHOOL

SMITH COUNTY CAREER CENTER

TAYLORSVILLE ATTENDANCE CENTER

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER

RALEIGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

56%

Grade 3

49%

Grade 4

44%

Grade 5

54%

Grade 6

59%

Grade 7

57%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

53%

Grade 3

44%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 5

41%

Grade 6

33%

Grade 7

44%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

63%

Grade 5

57%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$146,229

Year-over-year change-0.4%

Range across 15 ZIP codes$126K to $287K

vs. state typical0.75x

vs. national typical0.40x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (15 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39153	Raleigh	$147K	-4.5%	23.9%
39168	Taylorsville	$144K	+0.9%	15.1%
39116	Mize	$170K	-0.4%	13.4%
39117	Morton	$129K	+3.5%	10.2%
39152	Raleigh	$151K	+2.0%	7.4%
39074	Forest	$126K	+7.8%	7.3%
39422	Louin	$136K	-7.5%	6.3%
39338	Louin	$136K	-1.5%	6.0%
39111	Magee	$159K	-1.9%	4.7%
39119	Mount Olive	$150K	+3.3%	3.6%
39092	Lake	$131K	+8.4%	0.9%
39336	Lawrence	$132K	-3.9%	0.5%
39042	Brandon	$287K	+2.0%	0.4%
39481	Stringer	$160K	-4.2%	0.1%
39114		$156K	-2.3%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,727/mo

Year-over-year change+6.8%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
39042	Brandon	$1,727	+6.8%	0.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$738/mo

Home price / national median income1.8x

Annual rent / national median income24.8%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$989/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.