The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 55% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Richland Upper Elementary
Richland Upper Elementary sits in a Rankin County suburb of Jackson, a place shaped by highways and logistics. The city of Richland bills itself as a hub for transportation, warehousing, and distribution, sitting at the crossing of U.S. Highway 49 and Interstates 55 and 20, just across the Pearl River from the state capital. It is an auto-oriented community with no traditional walkable downtown, and its schools are operated by the Rankin County School District rather than a city-level system. Richland has grown steadily over recent decades, with its largest expansion coming in the 1990s, and the city continues to add residents and commercial activity. Housing here is modestly priced relative to national benchmarks, with typical home values sitting below the national mark but above the state baseline, making it a relatively affordable entry point for families moving into the Jackson metro area.
The school serves grades three through six, drawing a moderately sized student body for that grade band. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the working-class character of much of the community. The student population is diverse, with a white plurality, a sizable Black enrollment, a growing Hispanic presence, and a meaningful portion of students identifying as two or more races. The school is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and no Title I status, staffing ratios, discipline data, or program offerings were available in the provided materials, so those pieces of the picture are missing here. A parent looking for details on specialized programming, extracurriculars, or teacher support would want to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Richland Upper Elementary shows a mixed but generally solid profile. Third-grade math stands out as a clear strength, with the large majority of tested students reaching proficiency. Third-grade ELA is also reasonably strong. The fourth grade is where results dip most noticeably, with both math and ELA proficiency falling to their lowest points across the tested grades. Fifth-grade math and ELA land in the middle range, and sixth-grade results recover somewhat, with math bouncing back and ELA holding steady. Science, tested only in fifth grade, sits in that same middle band. The fourth-grade soft spot is worth a parent's attention; a family might ask the school what supports are in place for students in that transition year and whether the dip reflects a one-year pattern or a broader challenge.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results are improving, declining, or holding steady over time. Participation rates were also missing from the data. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate or college-readiness measure to report. That is expected for a grade three-through-six campus and does not indicate a gap in accountability. No information on English learner services or special education enrollment was provided, though the diversity of the student body suggests both populations may be present.
The broader Rankin County School District context matters here, but the district-level information available was thin. No recent bond issues, strategic plans, or facility investments surfaced in the provided research, so there is little to say about district-wide priorities or changes that might affect this campus. Richland itself promotes low tax rates and continued commercial growth, which could translate into a growing tax base for schools over time, though that connection is not documented in the available data.
For a parent weighing this school, the academic picture is one of real strength in the early grades with a middling stretch in the middle years. The community is affordable, diverse, and growing, with a practical, working-character identity rooted in its highway location. Families who want a suburban setting near Jackson with moderate housing costs and a mixed peer environment may find this fits. The missing pieces on staffing, discipline, and specialized programs mean a visit or a call to the school would help fill in what the numbers cannot show.
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