The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Northeast Lauderdale Elementary
NortheastLauderdale Elementary sits on Newell Road in Meridian, Mississippi, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade as part of the Lauderdale County School District. It operates as a traditional public school, and its enrollment places it among the larger elementary schools in its area for this grade band. Because it ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school has no high school course offerings or college-credit pathways to describe.
The school draws from a community shaped by its railroad origins. Meridian was once the largest city in Mississippi, and while the railroad industry's decline slowed the local economy, the area has since diversified into healthcare, military installations, and manufacturing. Naval Air Station Meridian and Key Field are major employers, along with Ochsner Rush Health and Peavey Electronics, which is headquartered in the city. Downtown Meridian has a concentration of cultural institutions, including the Riley Center, the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience, and the Meridian Museum of Art. Areas outside the downtown core tend to be car-dependent. Publicly reported sources note that the city's population has declined from its earlier peak, and no specific new housing developments were identified in available search results.
State testing at Northeast Lauderdale Elementary covers only grades three and four, the tested grades under Mississippi's MAAP assessment. Younger students in pre-kindergarten through second grade are not assessed under this system. Among the two tested grades, fourth grade shows clearly stronger results. A majority of fourth graders reached proficiency in math, and fourth grade English language arts was close behind. Third grade results were considerably lower in both subjects, with fewer third graders reaching the proficient level. The gap between the two grades is consistent across math and ELA. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports the transition from third to fourth grade and what interventions are in place for third graders still working toward proficiency. Participation rates for the state assessment were not reported, and no multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement or decline from prior years.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial White minority and small proportions of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding area. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported. The school's Title I status was also not available in the data provided.
Housing in the school's zip code is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit below the statewide figure and well below the national median, with rents that are correspondingly modest. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home in this area is low relative to national norms, and the rent-to-income ratio remains favorable. For families considering a move, housing costs are unlikely to be a barrier.
Several categories of information that parents often look for were absent. There was no discipline data, no staffing or class-size information, and no attendance figures. No program offerings were listed. The Lauderdale County School District brief returned no parent-relevant changes or recent initiatives, so there is little to report on district-level priorities. Civil rights data was not provided, and no neighbor comparison was available to position this school against nearby alternatives.
What the available picture does show is a mid-sized elementary school in an affordable, historically rooted community, with mixed early-grade assessment results that strengthen by fourth grade. Families considering this school would benefit from asking about third-grade support structures, the transition into tested grades, and any programs the district offers that the current data does not capture.
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