The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in Science. The lowest is 44% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on East Webster High School
East Webster High School sits on Old Cumberland Road in Maben, a small rural town straddling Oktibbeha and Webster counties in eastern Mississippi. The school serves grades six through twelve as part of the Webster County School District, and its enrollment is modest for a combined middle and high school. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Black population and very few Hispanic or multiracial students. Just under half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is below what many rural Mississippi schools see but still reflects a real share of families working with limited means. The town itself has limited commercial activity, a declining population, and modest household incomes. Publicly reported sources note that the Oktibbeha County portion of Maben consolidated its high school into Starkville, so East Webster serves the Webster County side, anchoring that part of town educationally.
On state assessments, the most recent results tell a mixed but generally encouraging story for the middle grades. In math, proficiency rates climb as students move through the grades, with eighth grade standing out as a clear strength. Sixth and seventh grade math sit around the midpoint, with a solid share of students reaching proficiency. Eighth grade math is notably strong, with most tested students clearing the proficiency bar. Science proficiency in eighth grade is also strong, again with most students scoring proficient or above. In English language arts, the picture is more uneven. Sixth grade ELA shows a healthy share of students at proficiency, and eighth grade is close behind. Seventh grade ELA is a soft spot, with a notably lower share of students reaching proficiency. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly how reading instruction and intervention are structured as students transition between grades.
Beyond these middle-grade results, the data thins considerably. No state assessment results were available for the high school grades, which is a gap in the picture. The school serves grades nine through twelve, but the provided data does not include end-of-course or subject-specific proficiency results for those grades. No graduation rate was available. No ACT or SAT participation or score data was provided. No Advanced Placement, dual-credit, or career-pathway course offerings appeared in the data, so we cannot characterize the academic program at the high school level. IEP and English learner counts were also missing, as were staffing figures, discipline data, and attendance rates. These gaps mean the academic portrait here rests almost entirely on the middle-grade state tests.
The housing market around East Webster is affordable by state and national standards. Home values in the zip code sit below the statewide benchmark and well below the national figure, with estimated mortgage costs that are modest relative to typical household incomes. For families considering a move into the attendance zone, this means housing access is relatively attainable. The town's broader trajectory is one of contraction rather than growth. Population decline and the earlier consolidation of the Oktibbeha County high school into Starkville reflect a community where local infrastructure has been narrowing. East Webster remains as the educational anchor for the Webster County side of Maben, and the school's continued operation gives families in that area a local option rather than a commute to a neighboring district.
What the data supports is a school with solid middle-grade instruction, particularly in math and science, and an ELA program that has at least one grade level where results dip sharply. The high school side is largely undescribed by the available data, so families with older students would need to ask the school directly about course offerings, graduation outcomes, and postsecondary pathways. The setting is rural, the peer environment is small and relatively homogeneous, and the community is quiet and affordable but not growing. For a family looking for a small-town school with steady middle-grade results and low housing costs, East Webster fits that profile. For those wanting a rich picture of the upper grades, the information simply was not available, and the school itself is the right next stop.
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