The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 53% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on North Jackson Elementary School
North Jackson Elementary sits on North James M. Davis Drive in Jackson, Mississippi, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Jackson Public School District. It is a traditional public school, not a charter, and its enrollment is modest for an elementary campus spanning those grade bands. The student body is almost entirely Black, reflecting the surrounding neighborhood in a city where the public school system is itself one of the largest employers. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which tells you this is a school serving a community where economic need is the norm rather than the exception.
State assessment results from the most recent MAAP administration paint a mixed picture across grades and subjects. In third grade, a slim majority of students reached proficiency in both math and English language arts, which is a reasonable starting point. Fourth grade is where the school shows its strongest results, with a clear majority proficient in math and a similar share in ELA. Fifth grade tells a different story. Math proficiency drops sharply, with fewer than a third of tested students reaching the proficient mark. ELA and science results for fifth graders land in the middle, with roughly half demonstrating proficiency. This dip at fifth grade is the kind of pattern a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly if their child is approaching that transition year.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is hard to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time. Participation rates were also missing from the state data. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was absent as well, so the picture of how the school serves special populations is incomplete from what is publicly reported here.
Jackson itself is Mississippi's capital and largest city, positioned on the Pearl River at the crossing of Interstates 20 and 55. The built environment is sprawling and auto-dependent, typical of Sun Belt capitals. State government buildings, the Old State Capitol, and the Governor's Mansion cluster downtown, while the University of Mississippi Medical Center operates as a large separated campus and ranks as the city's top employer. Jackson State University and Millsaps College serve as civic anchors. The broader metro area remains the largest in the state, though the city proper has seen substantial population loss over recent decades, the steepest of any major American city during that span. Development pressure has shifted toward suburban Madison and Rankin counties. The city has also contended with serious infrastructure challenges, including a water crisis that drew national attention. All of this shapes the context in which North Jackson Elementary operates.
At the district level, Jackson Public Schools recently adopted a strategic plan covering the next several years, which will guide curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation priorities. Beyond that, specific details about recent curriculum changes, facility investments, or programmatic shifts were not available in the search results.
Housing in the school's zip code is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the Mississippi statewide figure and far below national levels. Rents are similarly modest. For families considering the area, housing costs are unlikely to be a barrier, though the broader economic conditions of the neighborhood are part of the picture.
What the data does not tell us is also worth naming. The school's Title I status, magnet designation, staffing levels, discipline data, course access details, and attendance patterns were all absent from the available records. No program offerings were listed. Without those pieces, a parent would want to contact the school directly for information on teacher experience, classroom resources, extracurricular or enrichment offerings, and how the school supports students at different academic levels. What the data does show is a small elementary school serving a high-need community, with respectable middle grades in third and fourth but a fifth-grade math result that stands out as an area to ask about.
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