The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bates Elementary School
Bates Elementary School sits on McDowell Road Extension in south Jackson, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Jackson Public School District. The school draws from a neighborhood where housing values sit well below the state midpoint and far below national levels, making this one of the more affordable corners of the metro area for families looking to buy. Rents are similarly modest, and the gap between a monthly mortgage payment and a monthly rent is wide enough that renting costs considerably less than owning at current interest rates.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a Hispanic presence that makes up the next largest group, and small numbers of children from other racial backgrounds. Every student at Bates qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school firmly in the category of serving a high-poverty community. The total enrollment places Bates in the mid-range for an elementary school of its grade band. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those population sizes remain unknown.
On Mississippi's state assessments, the MAAP, Bates shows proficiency rates that are low across every tested grade and subject. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of fourth and fifth graders reached proficiency, while third grade results were lower. Math results decline as students move up: third grade posts the highest rate, fourth grade drops, and fifth grade falls below that again. Science proficiency for fifth graders lands in the same low range. These results point to a school where most students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks, and the pattern is consistent rather than isolated to one subject or grade. A parent considering Bates may want to ask school leaders what interventions and supports are in place for students performing below proficiency, and how growth is being tracked for children who start the year behind.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the provided information whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time. Participation rates for the assessments were also missing from the data.
Jackson is Mississippi's capital and largest city, though publicly reported sources document substantial population loss over the past decade, the steepest of any major American city during that period. The city sits on the Pearl River at the crossing of Interstates 20 and 55, functioning as a regional hub for state government, healthcare, and education. Major employers include the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson Public Schools itself, and the Nissan manufacturing plant. Jackson State University and Millsaps College both call the city home. The built environment is sprawling and auto-dependent, with much commercial activity having migrated to suburban areas in Madison and Rankin counties. Jackson has also faced serious infrastructure problems, including a widely reported water crisis. The broader metropolitan area remains the largest in Mississippi, and its economy has continued to grow even as the core city's population has contracted.
Jackson Public School District recently adopted a strategic plan covering the next several years, according to publicly available district materials, which will guide curriculum, instruction, and resource allocation priorities. Beyond that, information about specific district-level changes affecting parents was limited.
For a family weighing Bates, the picture is straightforward. The surrounding neighborhood offers very affordable housing, and the school serves a community where every child comes from a family qualifying for lunch assistance. State test results indicate that academic attainment is currently low across subjects and grades, with no trend data available to show whether things are moving in a particular direction. The missing data on special populations, staffing, discipline, and programs means a parent would need to contact the school directly for a fuller sense of what supports exist beyond what test scores can show.
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