The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in Math. The lowest is 64% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Della Davidson Elementary
Della Davidson Elementary serves only second and third graders in Oxford, Mississippi, making it a narrow-grade-band school within the Oxford School District. This configuration means families experience it as a transitional campus, one where children land for two years between early elementary and upper elementary grades. The school sits on Commonwealth Boulevard, and its enrollment is sizable for just two grade levels.
Oxford itself shapes what this school is. It is a college town built around the University of Mississippi, and the university's presence ripples through daily life. Publicly reported sources describe Oxford as the "Cultural Mecca of the South," a label the mayor's office uses to capture the community of writers, musicians, and artists who have built on the legacy of William Faulkner. The downtown Square, anchored by the Lafayette County Courthouse and home to locally-owned shops and the well-known Square Books, functions as the civic and commercial heart. The university campus sits on a ridge west of downtown, with commercial corridors running through the valleys between them. Oxford-University Transit operates bus routes across the city and campus, with free rides for Ole Miss students and faculty. Major employers include the university itself, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, and the North Mississippi Regional Center. Three private schools also operate in the city, giving families alternatives within the same community.
The housing market in Oxford's zip code runs well above both the statewide and national benchmarks. Home values have been climbing at a moderate year-over-year pace, and rents have risen similarly. With mortgage rates sitting where they are nationally, the monthly cost of ownership exceeds the cost of renting by a meaningful margin, which may factor into families' decisions about buying versus renting in this attendance zone.
On state assessments, Della Davidson's third graders posted strong results in math, with a large majority scoring proficient or above on the MAAP. English language arts proficiency was lower, with a smaller share of third graders reaching proficiency. The gap between math and ELA is worth a closer look, and a parent may want to ask the school how it approaches literacy instruction alongside its clearly strong math performance. Average scale scores were reported for both subjects, giving a fuller picture than proficiency rates alone.
A science proficiency figure appears in the data, but it dates from well in the past and reflects a grade level the school no longer serves. At that time the school apparently included fifth grade, which is tested in science in Mississippi. Since Della Davidson now serves only second and third graders, no current science results apply, and the older figure should not be read as indicative of present-day performance.
The student body is racially diverse, with white students forming about half the enrollment and Black students forming the next largest group. Smaller proportions of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students round out the population. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in the middle range for economic need. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available in the provided records, so those population sizes are unknown here.
Several categories of information were absent from the data. The school's Title I status, locale classification, staffing ratios, discipline data, course access details, and attendance figures were not reported. No program offerings were listed. The district brief for Oxford School District turned up little of lasting impact from recent searches. No graduation rate applies, since the school serves only early elementary grades. No trend data across multiple years was available, so it is not possible to say whether proficiency rates are improving or declining over time.
What the data does show is a school serving a brief but academically strong segment of a child's education in a culturally rich college town, with solid math results and room to grow in literacy. Families considering this area are choosing both the school and the community of Oxford, with its university influence, its literary heritage, and a housing market that reflects the desirability of that setting.
See more original research from School Decision →