The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Baker Elementary School
Baker Elementary School sat at 300 East Santa Clair Street in south Jackson, part of the Jackson Public School District. The school is now closed, so the information here is a historical snapshot rather than a guide to a current option. What state testing data captures is the 2022-23 school year, the last year for which results are available, offering a picture of academic performance in the final period before closure.
The school served elementary grades and reported state assessment results through Mississippi's MAAP test across third, fourth, and fifth grades. In English language arts, Baker's results were modest but showed some consistency. Third and fifth graders reached proficiency at comparable rates, with roughly a third of tested students meeting or exceeding expectations in both grades. Fourth grade was somewhat lower. In math, the picture was weaker and more uneven. Third-grade math proficiency was very low, with only a handful of students reaching proficiency. Fourth grade improved somewhat, and fifth grade showed the strongest math result, with about a quarter of tested students proficient. Fifth-grade science matched that same level. The pattern across subjects suggests that students who stayed at Baker through the upper elementary grades tended to perform better than younger students, though even the strongest results remained below what most families would hope to see.
Participation rate data was not available, so it is not possible to assess whether all eligible students were tested. No multi-year trend data was available either, so this snapshot represents a single point in time rather than a trajectory.
Enrollment figures, racial and ethnic composition, free-and-reduced-price lunch rates, special education populations, and English learner counts were all missing from the available data. Without these, it is hard to say much about the peer environment Baker offered or the specific student populations it served. The school was not a charter school. No information on magnet status, Title I status, discipline data, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance was available.
The surrounding community context comes from Jackson itself. Jackson is Mississippi's capital and largest city, positioned on the Pearl River at the crossing of Interstates 20 and 55. It is a sprawling, auto-dependent city with a grid-based downtown core anchored by state government buildings, the Old State Capitol, and the Governor's Mansion. Major employers include the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson Public Schools, and a Nissan manufacturing plant. Jackson State University and Millsaps College serve as civic anchors, and the city hosts the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the Museum of Mississippi History, and the Mississippi Children's Museum. Publicly reported sources note that Jackson experienced the largest percentage population decline of any major U.S. city over the decade leading to 2020, with development pressure shifting toward suburban areas in Madison and Rankin counties. The city also faced a severe water infrastructure crisis in 2022 when its largest water treatment facility failed. These broader challenges form the backdrop against which Baker Elementary operated.
The housing market in the school's zip code is very affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below the Mississippi statewide level and far below the national figure. Rents are also modest. For families connected to the area, housing costs would not have been a barrier, though the broader economic and infrastructure challenges in Jackson's core neighborhoods are part of the picture.
Jackson Public School District has adopted a new Strategic Plan covering 2024-2029, which sets district-wide goals for curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation. That plan will shape priorities going forward, though it postdates Baker's closure and speaks to the district's direction rather than this school's.
For families looking at this record, the main thing to understand is that Baker Elementary no longer operates. The academic data from its final reported year shows a school where English language arts was the relative strength and math was a persistent area of concern, particularly in the early grades. A parent reviewing this history might want to ask the district what supports or interventions were in place during that period and how the district's current strategic plan addresses schools serving similar communities.
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