The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on West Clay Elementary School
West Clay Elementary School sits in Cedar Bluff, an unincorporated community along Mississippi Highway 50 in Clay County. It is part of the West Point Consolidated School District and serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The school is small, with only a handful of students per grade level, which is worth keeping in mind when looking at any test results. A class of a dozen or fewer children means that one or two students moving in or out, or having a strong or weak testing day, can shift a proficiency figure substantially.
The student body is almost entirely African American, and every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is not a charter or magnet campus. Data on special education enrollment, English learner status, staffing ratios, attendance, and discipline was not available, so those dimensions of school life cannot be characterized here. A parent considering the school would want to ask directly about those supports.
On the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, West Clay's performance varies widely from grade to grade, which is typical for a school with such small tested cohorts. Fourth grade stands out as a bright spot. In both math and English language arts, the proficiency rate for fourth graders is strong, with the math result notably high. Fifth grade science is also solid, with most tested students reaching proficiency. Other grades are more mixed. Third grade math is low, though third grade ELA is closer to mid-range. Fifth grade results in both math and ELA sit in the middle. Sixth grade is the weakest point in the data, with ELA proficiency particularly low and math also modest. Because the tested groups are so small, these figures should be read as a snapshot rather than a stable trend. The state did not report participation rates, and no multi-year trend data was available, so there is no way to tell from this data whether performance is improving or declining over time.
Cedar Bluff itself is a quiet rural highway settlement. Publicly reported sources describe it as an unincorporated community in south central Clay County, with a church and a post office along Highway 50 and not much in the way of commercial or institutional infrastructure. The community was once home to a school and two churches and sat on the former Southern Railway line, but the area has seen population decline in recent years. No major employers, parks, libraries, or public transit were identified. Nearby West Point, the Clay County seat, is where most civic and commercial activity is concentrated. No walkable grid or downtown core exists in Cedar Bluff itself. The built environment is rural homes and highway frontage.
Housing in the area is inexpensive compared with both state and national benchmarks. The typical home value sits well below the Mississippi state average and far below the national figure, and values have dipped modestly over the past year. Mortgage costs are low relative to national income levels, which makes ownership accessible for families with steady income, though the declining population and limited local economy are part of the trade-off.
The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, facility investments, or tax measures. That does not mean nothing is happening, only that nothing surfaced in the available search.
For a parent weighing West Clay, the strongest signal in the data is the fourth grade performance, which suggests that in at least some grade levels the school is helping students reach proficiency at a good clip. The weaker sixth grade results, particularly in ELA, are worth a direct conversation with school staff, as is the question of what supports exist for students reading below grade level as they prepare to transition to secondary school. The small class sizes can mean more individual attention but also less peer diversity and more volatility in year-to-year results. Families drawn to rural living and affordable housing in the Clay County area will find that here, with the understanding that community infrastructure is limited and most services and employment are a drive away.
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