Tippah, Benton School Grades 2026: All Three Districts Earn B
Reported byTippah News
Read the full story at Tippah NewsAI-assisted summary
The Mississippi Department of Education published its 2026 school grades this week, and each of the three public districts serving Tippah and Benton counties (South Tippah, Benton County and North Tippah) received a B. Two high schools, Ripley High School and Blue Mountain High School, each earned an A. The grades reflect the 2025-26 school year.
The state increased the number of points needed for every letter grade, and state officials advise against comparing this year's letters directly with earlier ones. The article notes that South Tippah held an A for 2024-25, so its B reflects both the tougher cutoffs and its scores. Benton County's graduation rate was 98.3%. High schools are scored out of 1,000 points, combining test results with graduation and college and career readiness. Schools without a 12th grade are scored out of 700 points using proficiency and student growth.
State law ties tougher standards to the share of schools or districts scoring at B level or better reaching 65%, which happened in 2023. The new cutoffs began with this year's ratings. Statewide, 148 districts were graded. The A count fell to 31 from 52 a year earlier, with 44 Bs, 47 Cs, 21 Ds and 3 Fs, so 75 districts earned an A or B. Parents can find school-level results on the department's accountability page and the Mississippi Succeeds Report Card.
Why it matters
School letter grades shape how families judge local schools and how districts describe their progress. Because the scoring bar rose this year, readers may need to look beyond the letter and consider the detailed results when comparing against earlier years.
- School ratings
- Test scores
- Graduation rates
- College and career readiness
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should families and board members interpret a letter grade when the scoring bar has been raised from the previous year?
- What additional information beyond letter grades would help parents understand how their local schools are doing?
- How might a district use detailed proficiency and growth results to set priorities for the coming school year?
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