The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 48% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Highland Elementary
Highland Elementary sits on Brame Road in Ridgeland, a suburban city in southern Madison County that sits between Madison to the north and Jackson to the south. The school serves third through fifth grades and belongs to the Madison County School District. Its enrollment is moderate for a three-grade elementary, with each grade carrying a similar number of students and a small ungraded group rounding out the roster.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a sizable Hispanic population and a smaller white enrollment. Asian students and students of two or more races each make up a modest portion. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic mix of the surrounding community rather than the retail-facing prosperity Ridgeland projects along its commercial corridors. The school is neither a charter nor a magnet. No Title I status, IEP rate, or English-learner rate was reported in the data we received, so those gaps stand as missing rather than as indications one way or the other.
On state assessments, Highland shows a mixed but generally middling academic profile. In math, proficiency rates sit just above the midpoint in third grade, dip slightly in fourth, and ease further in fifth. The pattern suggests students enter on a reasonable footing and the school holds most of that ground, though fifth-grade math is the softest number in the set. English language arts tells a different story: third-grade proficiency starts lower than math, then climbs steadily through fourth and fifth grades, ending at roughly half of tested students performing at proficient or above. Fifth-grade science is the strongest result, with a clear majority of students reaching proficiency. Average scale scores rise grade by grade in both subjects in the expected way. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time. Participation rates were also missing from the source data.
Because Highland serves only grades three through five, there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit coursework, and no career-pathway information to assess. Those gaps reflect the grade band, not a weakness in the school. No discipline, staffing, attendance, or course-access data was provided, and no program offerings were listed. A parent wanting a fuller picture of classroom resources, teacher experience, or student-support services would want to ask the school or district directly, since the available data does not speak to those areas.
Ridgeland itself is a car-oriented suburb. Residential subdivisions and commercial strips line the major roads rather than forming a dense, walkable grid. The city has built a multiuse trail system spanning more than a dozen miles and holds a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community designation. The Natchez Trace Parkway runs through the city and draws cyclists. To the east, the Ross Barnett Reservoir borders Ridgeland and provides fishing, sailing, and water-sport access. Shopping and dining concentrate at Northpark Mall on County Line Road and at Renaissance at Colony Park in central Ridgeland, a newer mixed-use development. Several companies are headquartered here, including C Spire Wireless and Cal-Maine Foods. A Holmes Community College campus and a Delta Technical College campus operate in the city, and private school options exist, including Saint Andrew's Episcopal.
The housing market in Highland's zip code sits above the Mississippi state benchmark but below the national figure, making it relatively expensive for the region. Estimated monthly mortgage costs run above typical rents, and the price-to-income ratio is moderate by national standards. Rent takes up roughly a quarter of a typical household's income. Home values have risen modestly year over year, and rents have climbed at a faster clip. For a family weighing relocation, the area offers suburban amenities, retail access, and outdoor recreation, with housing costs that reflect Ridgeland's commercial and residential appeal.
The Madison County School District brief turned up no recent bond issues, millage shifts, rezoning actions, or curriculum changes that would be parent-relevant. That absence does not mean nothing is happening; it means the search found no publicly reported lasting changes worth flagging.
Taken together, Highland Elementary is a mid-sized upper-elementary school serving an economically diverse, majority-minority student population in a prosperous suburban setting. Its academic results are steady if unspectacular, with science a relative bright spot and fifth-grade math the area most worth a parent's follow-up question. The school's place in a growing, amenity-rich suburb gives families access to trails, reservoir recreation, and commercial convenience, with housing costs that run higher than much of the state.
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