The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Science. The lowest is 33% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Byhalia Elementary School (k-4)
Byhalia Elementary School sits on Highway 309 North in the small Marshall County town of Byhalia, Mississippi, about half an hour southeast of Memphis. It is a traditional public school serving kindergarten through fourth grade and part of the Marshall County School District, which operates schools across the broader county rather than being town-specific. The town itself is a crossroads community shaped by U.S. highways and interstates, with a National Register-listed historic downtown along Church Street, antebellum homes and churches, and a Mississippi Main Street designation that signals active revitalization work. Byhalia has grown in recent decades through immigration and annexation, and its position on the Memphis metropolitan fringe suggests that growth may continue.
The school serves a student body that is diverse in composition. Black students make up the largest share, followed by white and Hispanic students, with a smaller portion identified as two or more races. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which means the school operates under the universal free meal model and serves a community where economic need is widespread. Information on English learner enrollment and special education participation was not available in the data provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those services.
On the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, proficiency was mixed across the tested grades. In third grade math, roughly four in ten students reached proficiency, and in third grade English language arts, about a third did. Fourth grade results were lower in both subjects, with fewer than a third of students proficient in math and roughly the same proportion in ELA. A parent looking at these numbers will want to understand what supports are in place for students who are not yet at grade level, and how the school is working to close the gap between third and fourth grade outcomes. The data does not include participation rates, so it is hard to assess whether testing engagement was complete.
A science proficiency result from an earlier year appears in the data for fifth grade, but Byhalia Elementary now serves only through fourth grade, so that figure reflects a prior configuration and grade range. Current science results for this school are not applicable because the state tests science in fifth grade, which is outside the school's present grade band.
Trend data comparing year-over-year changes was not available, so there is no way to tell from the provided information whether proficiency is improving or declining over time. A parent would benefit from asking the school or district for multi-year trend data to get a fuller picture.
The housing market in the Byhalia zip code sits between the state and national benchmarks, with typical home values modestly above the statewide figure but well below the national one. The price-to-income ratio indicates that ownership is relatively attainable compared with many markets, though current mortgage rates add pressure to monthly costs. Rental data was not available. For families considering the area, housing costs are in a range that may work for households with moderate incomes, and the town's proximity to Memphis expands employment options even if local employers within Byhalia itself appear limited.
Beyond academics, the data is thin. No information was provided on discipline practices, course access, staffing levels, attendance rates, or school programs. The school's Title I status, magnet status, and locale classification were also not reported. This leaves a parent without a full picture of the school environment. The district brief likewise did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes, so there is little to report on strategic direction or recent initiatives.
What the available data describes is a small-town elementary school serving a high-need community in a growing rural town on the edge of a major metro area. Academic results show a portion of students reaching proficiency but a larger portion not yet there, with fourth grade weaker than third. Families considering Byhalia Elementary would do well to visit the school, ask about instructional interventions, and request trend data and details on staffing and student support that the public data does not capture.
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