The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Science. The lowest is 82% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Mannsdale Upper Elementary
Mannsdale Upper Elementary sits in the Madison County School District, serving the third through fifth grade band from its campus on Mannsdale Road in Madison, Mississippi. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and it draws from a community that has become one of the more affluent corners of the Jackson metropolitan area.
The academic results here are a clear strength. On the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, proficiency rates across both math and English language arts run high in every grade the school serves. Third-grade math stands out as particularly strong, with the large majority of tested students scoring proficient or above. Fourth-grade math dips relative to the other grades but remains solidly in the proficient range. English language arts proficiency is consistent across all three grades, holding steady from third through fifth. Fifth-grade science proficiency is also strong. These are the kind of state testing numbers that suggest most students are meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations, and a parent weighing academic preparation would find the picture reassuring. Participation rates were not reported in the data we reviewed, so we cannot speak to whether all enrolled students were tested. Multi-year trend data was also unavailable, so the read reflects a single year of results rather than a trajectory.
The student body is moderate in size for a three-grade school. The enrollment is predominantly white, with a sizable Black student population and a small Asian presence. Hispanic and multiracial students make up a small share. The proportion of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low, which aligns with the broader economic profile of the surrounding area and suggests that many families here are not facing the level of economic pressure seen in some other parts of the state or region. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so we cannot characterize how those populations are served.
Madison itself is a residential suburb of Jackson, situated a short distance to the south of the capital city along Interstate 55. The city has grown steadily over recent decades, expanding westward through annexation, though the pace of growth appears to have leveled off in the last few years. The built environment is suburban, organized around subdivisions and highway-oriented commercial corridors rather than walkable street grids. A family living here is essentially choosing a car-dependent lifestyle with detached homes as the norm. Publicly reported descriptions cast Madison as a place with a small-town atmosphere that also appeals to retirees, and it carries the nickname "The Brick City."
For families, the civic anchors include Strawberry Patch Park with its running trail and children's fishing pond, Liberty Park with sports fields, and Simmons Arboretum with wooded trails. The Natchez Trace Parkway runs along the eastern edge of the city, offering a scenic recreational corridor. No public library was identified in the available search results, and no major employers were named, which reinforces the picture of Madison as primarily a bedroom community rather than an employment hub.
The housing market reflects that suburban profile. Home values in the school's zip code sit well above the state benchmark and modestly above the national benchmark. Rents are also elevated relative to the state. With current mortgage rates in the mid-six-percent range, the estimated monthly cost of ownership exceeds the estimated monthly rent by a meaningful margin, so families weighing buying versus renting should factor that gap in. The price-to-income ratio is above three times national median household income, and rent absorbs roughly a quarter of median income. In short, this is a relatively expensive market for Mississippi, and the cost of entry into this school zone is part of what shapes its student demographics.
The district brief turned up no recently reported parent-relevant changes such as bond issues, rezoning, curriculum overhauls, or millage shifts. That absence does not mean nothing is happening, only that our search did not surface lasting changes a parent should know about. Information on Title I status, staffing ratios, discipline data, attendance, course access, and civil-rights indicators was either not reported or not available for this school, so those dimensions of the school environment remain uncharacterized here.
What the available evidence does show is a school delivering strong academic outcomes across its tested grades, situated in an affluent, growing suburb where most families own homes and the housing market commands a premium. For a parent whose priorities center on proficiency results and a peer environment drawn from a relatively resourced community, Mannsdale Upper Elementary fits that profile. Where gaps exist in the data, particularly around special populations and school climate, a parent may want to ask the school directly.
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