The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Science. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Key Elementary School
Key Elementary School sits on McDowell Road in Jackson, Mississippi, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Jackson Public School District. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and it is open and operating.
The school serves a small enrollment of students across its grade bands. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Key among the most economically disadvantaged schools in the district. The student body is almost entirely Black, with a small number of Hispanic students and a negligible white enrollment. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those population shares are not available here.
On state assessments, Key Elementary's results show real challenges. In mathematics, third grade proficiency sits at a very low level, with very few students reaching the proficiency bar. Fourth grade math is comparatively stronger, with a larger share of students meeting the standard. Fifth grade math proficiency falls back to a lower level, closer to where third grade stood. In English language arts, the pattern runs differently: proficiency is low in third grade, modestly higher in fourth grade, and reaches its highest point in fifth grade, though that level remains below what most schools in the state would aim for. Fifth grade science proficiency falls in a similar low range. Participation rates were not reported for any of these assessments, so it is unclear whether the tested students represent the full enrollment at each grade level. No multi-year trend data was available, which means there is no way to tell from this data whether these results represent an improvement, a decline, or a steady state. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its improvement trajectory and its plans under the district's new strategic plan.
Jackson itself is Mississippi's capital and largest city, sitting on the Pearl River at the crossroads of interstate highways. The city has gone through a prolonged period of population decline, publicly reported as the largest percentage loss of any major American city in the last census decade. Infrastructure challenges, including a widely reported water system failure, have affected daily life for residents. At the same time, the broader metro area remains the state's largest economic engine, with major employers including a large teaching hospital, a Nissan manufacturing plant, and the public school district itself. Development has shifted toward suburban areas in neighboring counties, where new employers have located.
The housing market around the school reflects this context. Home values in the school's zip code are very low relative to the state and far below national levels, which makes homeownership accessible on paper. Rents are also modest, though they have been rising at a faster clip than home values. The price-to-income ratio sits near parity, meaning typical local wages can stretch to cover a mortgage. For a family weighing cost of living, the area is affordable in a way that few places are. Whether that affordability comes with the school quality and neighborhood stability a family wants is a separate question, and the assessment data here does not answer it favorably.
Jackson Public School District recently adopted a strategic plan covering the next several years, which the district says will guide curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation. How that plan translates into changes at the building level for a school like Key is not yet visible in the available data. No information on staffing, course offerings, discipline practices, attendance, or specialized programs was available for this school, so those dimensions could not be assessed here. No comparative positioning against neighboring schools or districts was available either. A family considering Key would benefit from visiting the school, asking about its academic improvement strategy, and understanding what supports are in place for students performing below grade level.
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