The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Marshall Elementary School
Marshall Elementary School sits on Oak Forest Drive in south Jackson, 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 its enrollment is small for an elementary spanning that many grades. The student body is nearly entirely Black, with a tiny handful of students identifying as white or multiracial. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school firmly in the category of high-poverty campuses where staffing, wraparound services, and community partnerships tend to matter as much as what happens in the classroom. The school does not report IEP counts or English-learner figures, so families needing information about special education or language supports would need to ask the school directly.
The most recent state assessment results, from the 2023-24 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, paint a clear picture of where Marshall stands. Math proficiency is very low across all tested grades. Third graders showed no students reaching proficient levels, and the upper grades did not climb far above that. English language arts results are somewhat stronger in relative terms, with roughly a quarter of third graders and fifth graders scoring proficient, though the pattern across grades is uneven. Science, tested only in fifth grade, landed in a similar range to ELA. Participation rates were not reported, so it is hard to know whether the tested group reflects the full enrollment. No multi-year trend data was available, which means there is no way to tell from this data whether these results represent improvement, decline, or a steady state. A parent trying to gauge whether the school is moving in the right direction may want to look into this further with the school or district.
The broader context is Jackson itself, Mississippi's capital and a city that has been losing population. Publicly reported sources describe the largest percentage decline of any major U.S. city over the last census decade, with growth pressure shifting to suburban Madison and Rankin counties. Jackson's economy still carries weight through state government, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a Nissan manufacturing plant, and Jackson Public Schools itself, which ranks among the city's top employers. The city experienced a severe water infrastructure failure that drew national attention, and the built environment is sprawling and auto-dependent. For a family considering Marshall, this means the school operates within a district and city navigating serious structural challenges, even as civic anchors like Jackson State University, Millsaps College, and the Mississippi museums remain nearby.
The Jackson Public School District recently adopted a Strategic Plan covering 2024 through 2029, which is publicly described as setting district-wide goals for curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation. How that plan translates into day-to-day changes at Marshall specifically is not spelled out in the available data. No information on course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline practices, attendance patterns, or extracurricular programs was provided, so those dimensions of school life remain an open question.
Housing in the school's zip code is quite affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below the Mississippi statewide figure, and rents are modest. For families already in the area or those drawn by low housing costs, Marshall represents a neighborhood school embedded in a community dealing with the realities of a contracting city. The academic results as measured by state tests are weak, and the data does not offer evidence of a turnaround trend. Families for whom proximity, affordability, and a familiar neighborhood setting are the priority will find those qualities here. Families prioritizing measured academic outcomes will likely want to ask hard questions about what the school and district are doing to move the numbers.
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