The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Vardaman Elementary School
Vardaman Elementary School was a public elementary school in Vardaman, Mississippi, operated by the Calhoun County School District. Publicly reported sources indicate the school served kindergarten through sixth grade, with the town's older students attending Vardaman High School for grades seven through twelve. The school is now closed, so the academic results available here represent the most recent picture before that closure, drawn from the 2022-23 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program. Families considering this area should be aware that the school itself is no longer operating, and the data serves as a historical record of what instruction looked like in its final reported year.
In mathematics, proficiency across the tested grades was moderate. Third grade and sixth grade both showed a majority of tested students reaching proficiency, while fourth and fifth grades landed just below that threshold. The pattern suggests reasonably consistent math instruction across the grade band, with the upper elementary grades holding their own. English language arts results were more uneven. Fifth grade stood out as a relative strength, with just over half of students proficient, and third grade was close behind. Fourth grade was weaker, and sixth grade ELA proficiency was notably low, with only a small fraction of students meeting the benchmark. This drop in the upper grade is the kind of pattern a parent would want to ask about, though with the school now closed, that question is largely archival. Science was assessed only in fifth grade, and the results there were solid, with a clear majority reaching proficiency.
Enrollment figures, demographic breakdowns, free and reduced-price lunch rates, English learner and special education populations, staffing levels, discipline data, and attendance information were all missing from the available records. Without these, it is hard to assess the student body the school was serving or the resources behind those outcomes. The participation rate for state testing was also not reported, though the tested counts themselves were available for each grade and subject. No trend data was provided to show whether performance was improving or declining over time.
Vardaman sits in eastern Calhoun County and calls itself the Sweet Potato Capital of the World. The Calhoun Economic Development Association describes it as mainly an agricultural community with excellent farmland surrounding the municipality, where sweet potatoes are the chief crop. The town has a traditional small-town layout centered on Main Street, with low-density residential development giving way to farmland. Mississippi Highway 8 runs through, connecting Vardaman to Calhoun City a short drive west and Houston a short drive east. The Yalobusha River flows past just south of town. Civic life centers on a youth recreation complex with baseball and softball fields, a walking track, a playground, and a Veterans Memorial. The annual Sweet Potato Festival, held the first week of November, brings large crowds and transforms the town into a lively event center. Publicly reported sources note the town's population is racially diverse, with White, Hispanic or Latino, and Black or African American residents making up the community.
Housing in the area is quite affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. The typical home value sits well below the Mississippi state average and far below the national figure, and recent values have declined. No rental market data was available. The price-to-income ratio suggests that ownership is within reach for many local households at current mortgage rates, though income levels in this rural agricultural setting may be modest compared to suburban or metropolitan areas. The town has invested in water and sewer infrastructure, including what the Calhoun EDA describes as the largest lagoon treatment system in the county and a new water well addition, with stated capacity for future growth. No major new housing developments or commercial expansion projects were identified in available sources.
The district brief for Calhoun County School District did not surface specific parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum overhauls, or facility decisions with lasting impact. With Vardaman Elementary now closed, families in the area would need to look to other schools within the district for current educational options, and the academic record here is best understood as a snapshot of the school's last reported year rather than a guide to present-day enrollment decisions.
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