The top reported proficiency rate is 100% in Science. The lowest is 73% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ida B. Wells Apac School
Ida B. Wells APAC School sits on Riverside Drive in Jackson, serving only fourth and fifth graders. It is part of Jackson Public School District, one of the largest employers in the capital city. The school is not a charter school, and its magnet status was not reported in the data we received. With a total enrollment that is quite small for a two-grade school, the setting is intimate by design or by draw, and every classroom is a close-knit group.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller white enrollment and a very small number of Asian and multiracial students. Every student in the building qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which means the school serves an economically vulnerable population across the board. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so we cannot characterize those populations here. A parent with specific questions about special education services or language support would want to ask the school directly.
On Mississippi's MAAP assessments, the most recent results are strong across the board. Fourth graders posted proficiency rates in both math and English language arts that sit well above typical state expectations. Fifth grade English language arts was even stronger, with nearly all tested students reaching proficient or above. Fifth grade math was the relative soft spot, with a majority proficient but a noticeably lower rate than the other subjects and grades. Fifth grade science was a standout, with every tested student scoring proficient or above. These are encouraging results, especially for a school where every student comes from an economically disadvantaged background. At the same time, the tested groups are small, which means a single student's performance shifts the proficiency picture meaningfully. A parent should read these numbers as a genuine signal of strong instruction but also as ones that come from small cohorts.
No multi-year trend data was available, so we cannot say whether these results represent steady performance, recent improvement, or a one-year peak. The district adopted a new strategic plan covering the next several years, which publicly reported documents indicate will shape curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation across Jackson Public Schools. How that plan reaches a two-grade school of this size is something a parent may want to explore with school leadership.
Because Ida B. Wells serves only fourth and fifth graders, there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit course access, and no high school pathway to describe. Those metrics do not apply to this grade band. There is also no science assessment for fourth graders in the data, which aligns with how Mississippi tests those grades. Data on discipline, attendance, staffing, and Title I status was not provided, so we cannot speak to those aspects of school climate or operations.
Jackson itself is Mississippi's capital and largest city, positioned on the Pearl River at the crossroads of Interstates 20 and 55. Publicly reported sources describe a city shaped by state government, major medical and educational institutions, a Nissan manufacturing plant, and a sprawling, auto-dependent built environment. The city has faced sharp population decline over the past decade, the steepest of any major American city during that span, along with serious infrastructure challenges including a water crisis. Development and employment growth have shifted toward suburban areas in Madison and Rankin counties, even as the metro area remains the largest in the state. Cultural anchors downtown include the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History, with Jackson State University and Millsaps College serving as educational and civic institutions.
The housing market around the school's zip code is affordable relative to national figures, with home values sitting well below the national benchmark and roughly in line with the state average. Rents are modest. Home values have dipped recently, while rents have risen by a small margin. For a family considering this area, housing costs are not a barrier the way they would be in many larger metro markets.
What this school offers is a very small, academically focused two-year experience for upper elementary students, with proficiency results that suggest strong teaching and a cohort of learners performing well above state norms. The tradeoff is that the school is tiny, the grade band is narrow, and information about staffing, discipline, attendance, and specialized populations was not available in the data. A family drawn to a small, high-performing environment in the Jackson Public system would find reason to look further here, and would benefit from a direct conversation with the school about what the APAC designation means for instruction and student life.
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