The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kemper County Upper Elementary
Kemper County Upper Elementary sits in De Kalb, the county seat of Kemper County, Mississippi, a very small rural town along Highway 39. The town has a quiet, residential character with a modest commercial core and limited civic infrastructure beyond town hall and county government offices. Publicly reported data describes a community in decline, with the population contracting over recent census cycles and projected to keep shrinking. Median household income is low and poverty is widespread. No major employers were identified in available sources, and many residents likely commute to larger nearby towns such as Meridian for work. Housing here is inexpensive by any benchmark, with typical home values sitting well below both the Mississippi and national medians, making ownership relatively accessible for those with stable income.
The school is part of the Kemper County School District and is listed as serving grades four through eight, though its actual enrollment tells a different story. The student body is small, concentrated almost entirely in pre-kindergarten, fourth grade, and fifth grade, with no students enrolled in grades six through eight. This means the school functions as an early-elementary and pre-K campus in practice, despite its grade-span designation. The enrollment is overwhelmingly African American, and every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding community.
On Mississippi's MAAP assessments for the most recent reported year, fourth-grade results were moderate in both math and English language arts, with roughly comparable shares of students reaching proficiency in each subject. Fifth-grade math was notably weaker, with a smaller portion of students demonstrating proficiency. Fifth-grade English language arts landed in a similar range to fourth grade. Fifth-grade science was the school's strongest showing, with a majority of students meeting proficiency. No participation rates were reported, and no multi-year trend data was available, so it is hard to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. A parent may want to ask the school about the drop between fourth and fifth grade math and what supports are in place to address it.
Several categories of information that parents often rely on were not available in the data provided. There was no information on special education enrollment, English learner services, discipline practices, staffing levels, attendance rates, course offerings, or Title I status. The absence of these fields limits the picture considerably. A family considering this school would benefit from asking directly about class sizes, teacher experience, and what intervention or enrichment programs exist.
The district context adds an important layer. Publicly reported district information indicates that Kemper County School District consolidated several former elementary schools, including Kemper County Upper Elementary, into a newly constructed Kemper County Elementary School in De Kalb serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Construction was reported as scheduled for completion in late 2023 with an opening in spring 2024, including a multipurpose room and storm shelter. This reorganization changes school assignments and attendance zones for families across the county. Whether this school continues under its current name and configuration or has been absorbed into the new campus is something a parent should confirm with the district directly, as the data available here shows the school as open with assessment results from the most recent academic year.
For a family weighing this school, the realities are concrete. The peer environment is small, close-knit, and economically homogeneous, with nearly all students sharing similar socioeconomic circumstances. The academic program shows some bright spots in early grades and science but also areas of concern in middle-grade math. The surrounding community offers affordable housing and a quiet rural setting but limited local amenities and economic opportunity. And the district itself is in the midst of a facilities reorganization that could affect where a child attends class in the near term.
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