The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Science. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on T J Harris Elementary
TJ Harris Elementary is a closed school in the Meridian Public School District, located on Twelfth Street in Meridian, Mississippi. Because the school is no longer operating, the record below describes its last reported academic year and the community it sat in. A parent arriving at this page is most likely researching past performance or tracing where a former student attended.
The available state assessment data covers grades three through five on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, in math, English language arts, and fifth-grade science. In math, very few third-grade students reached proficiency, with a larger share clearing that bar in fourth grade before the fifth-grade rate settled to a lower level. English language arts followed a similar arc. Third-grade proficiency was quite low, fourth grade showed a stronger result, and fifth grade returned to a lower band. Fifth-grade science was the relative bright spot, with a substantial portion of students demonstrating proficiency. Participation rates were not reported, so it is not possible to confirm how fully the tested group represented the school's enrollment.
The tested cohorts were small, which means a few students moving in or out of the proficiency range could shift results noticeably. Without demographic data, free-or-reduced-price-lunch figures, or enrollment counts, it is hard to contextualize these results against the student population the school actually served. The payload carries no information on staffing ratios, discipline, course offerings, attendance, or special-population services. We looked for program descriptions, magnet or Title I status, and a locale classification and found none reported.
Meridian itself is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of its micropolitan area. Publicly reported sources describe a place shaped by its railroad heritage, sitting at a historic junction of two rail lines. The economy has diversified since the decline of the rail industry into healthcare, military, and manufacturing. Naval Air Station Meridian and Key Field are major military employers, and Ochsner Rush Health is the largest non-military employer in the region. Peavey Electronics, a well-known audio equipment manufacturer, is headquartered in the city.
Downtown Meridian holds a concentration of civic and cultural institutions, including the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience, the Riley Center, the Meridian Museum of Art, a community theater, and a symphony orchestra. The Threefoot Building, a tall historic structure, marks the skyline. Union Station functions as a multi-modal transit hub with Amtrak and bus service. Outside the downtown core, the city is largely car-dependent. The population has declined from its earlier peak, and no major new housing developments surfaced in the available research.
Housing in the school's zip code sits well below both the state and national benchmarks, making this one of the more affordable markets a family could encounter in Mississippi. Estimated mortgage costs run low relative to typical household income. Rent data was not available for this area, so a family weighing renting versus buying would need to look elsewhere for current rental figures.
The Meridian Public School District profile surfaced in our research, but no specific parent-relevant changes from recent meetings or initiatives met the threshold for inclusion here. A parent interested in the district's current direction would do best to contact the district directly, since the school this record describes is no longer open and the available data reflects a point in time rather than a living institution.
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