The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dawson Elementary School
Dawson Elementary School sits on Sunset Drive in north Jackson, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Jackson Public School District. It is a small neighborhood school, with an enrollment that keeps class sizes at each grade level compact. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is almost entirely Black. The school does not have charter or magnet designation. Data on special education enrollment and English learner counts was not available, so those figures are left out here rather than estimated.
On Mississippi's MAAP assessments for the most recent reported year, Dawson's results were weak across the board, and weakest in mathematics. Third-grade math had a small share of students reaching proficiency, fourth-grade math was near the bottom, and fifth-grade math saw no tested students reach the proficient threshold. English language arts showed a different pattern: third-grade ELA had the school's strongest result, with a modest portion of students proficient, though that dropped sharply in fourth grade before ticking back up in fifth grade. Fifth-grade science proficiency was similar to the fifth-grade ELA figure. These are low results by any standard. A parent considering Dawson may want to ask the school directly how it plans to address math outcomes in particular, and what interventions or supports are in place for the upper elementary grades.
Because Dawson serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, no ACT or SAT data, and no AP or dual-credit course access to report. Those measures simply do not apply to a school with this grade range. The data set also did not include staffing ratios, attendance rates, discipline figures, or program offerings such as gifted, arts, or after-school options. Without those, the picture of day-to-day school climate is incomplete, and a parent would need to visit or call the school to fill in what the available data does not cover.
The surrounding neighborhood's housing market is one of the most affordable in the state. Typical home values in the school's zip code run well below the statewide benchmark and far below national figures. Rent is also low relative to income. For families who own or rent near the school, housing costs are not likely to be a barrier. At the same time, low home values in this part of Jackson reflect broader dynamics that have shaped the city for years.
Jackson is Mississippi's capital and largest city, positioned at the crossroads of Interstate 20 and Interstate 55 along the Pearl River. Publicly reported sources describe a city that has experienced substantial population decline over the past decade, the steepest of any major American city during that period, with residents and commercial activity migrating to suburban Madison and Rankin counties. The city has also grappled with serious infrastructure problems, including a water system failure that drew national attention. Major employers such as the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Nissan, and the public school district itself anchor the regional economy, and the broader metro area remains the largest in the state. Jackson is home to Jackson State University and Millsaps College, along with the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and other cultural institutions. For a family at Dawson, this means the school sits within a city that carries deep historical and civic weight but is also one where resources are stretched and population shifts have altered neighborhood stability.
Jackson Public School District recently adopted a strategic plan covering the next several years, which is intended to guide curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation district-wide. How that plan translates into changes at the school level for Dawson specifically is not yet visible in the available data. A parent asking questions would be well served by learning what the district's priorities mean in practice for this particular campus, especially given the academic results on the state assessment.
Dawson is a small, community-rooted elementary school in a part of Jackson where housing is very affordable and where nearly all families face economic hardship. The academic results are a genuine concern, particularly in math. Families drawn to this school, perhaps because of proximity, family ties to the neighborhood, or housing circumstances, should go in with their eyes open and engage directly with school staff about what supports exist and what is changing.
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