West Hills Elementary School

Q: Is West Hills Elementary School a good school?

West Hills Elementary School ranks 287 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

West Hills Elementary School is a public elementary school in Meridian, Mississippi, serving 478 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Meridian Public Schools district, which is ranked 117 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

West Hills Elementary School stands out for several key reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (over 93%) compared to nearby schools like Crestwood Elementary, Parkview Elementary, and Poplar Springs Elementary. Academically, West Hills consistently underperforms the state and district averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, its 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate was 52.7% in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 57.7% and the district average of 36.4%. The school has also consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Mississippi elementary schools over the past several years.

Another notable factor is the school's extremely high percentage of students (over 99%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Despite these challenges, West Hills Elementary School has not shown significant improvement over time, and its academic struggles persist. Addressing the unique needs of this school and its community will likely require a comprehensive, targeted approach to support student success.

Detail:

Public K-5

4100 32nd Street
Meridian, MS 39307

(601) 484-4474

District: Meridian Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
287^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,619

Students who attend West Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Northwest Junior High School
High:	Meridian High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 428

Racial breakdown:

African American:

92.3%

Two or more races:

3.7%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Hills Elementary School ranks worse than 73.6% of elementary schools in Mississippi. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Meridian Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.29. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details West Hills Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Meridian Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: African American (92.3%), two or more races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Meridian Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Hills Elementary School is 15.5, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Meridian Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare West Hills Elementary School employs 27.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Hills Elementary School is $10,619, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Meridian Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Hills Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Meridian Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Meridian Public Schools 117^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Hills Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2008	27.75	305^th	394	22.6%
2009	27.57	305^th	392	22.2%
2010	20.68	344^th	403	14.6%
2011	16.32	391^st	418	6.5%
2012	28.99	328^th	414	20.8%
2013	24.93	335^th	408	17.9%
2014	35.78	273^rd	394	30.7%
2015	38.73	236^th	402	41.3%
2016	20.06	335^th	394	15.0%
2017	24.49	315^th	406	22.4%
2018	19.38	340^th	404	15.8%
2019	16.18	347^th	397	12.6%
2021	20.38	296^th	381	22.3%
2022	15.15	335^th	382	12.3%
2023	23.30	307^th	377	18.6%
2024	28.29	287^th	390	26.4%

See the entire list of Mississippi Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for West Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	283	175	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	463
1991	270	175	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	448
1992	252	174	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	427
1993	264	244	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	508
1994	232	253	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	486
1995	206	252	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	458
1996	206	252	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	458
1997	186	295	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	481
1998	152	341	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	495
1999	139	381	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	520
2000	107	378	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	487
2001	89	429	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	521
2002	70	426	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	503
2003	70	426	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	503
2004	80	448	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	535
2005	76	461	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	543
2006	58	456	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	516
2007	52	455	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	510
2008	46	469	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	518
2009	43	448	0	5	0	0	0	496
2010	29	505	0	3	0	0	0	537
2011	27	512	0	6	0	0	0	545
2012	27	548	0	2	0	0	0	577
2013	21	555	1	5	0	0	4	586
2014	22	509	0	11	0	0	3	545
2015	12	530	0	7	0	0	1	550
2016	6	502	0	6	0	0	0	514
2017	12	518	1	7	0	0	0	538
2018	10	502	3	7	0	0	1	523
2019	16	493	4	8	1	0	0	522
2020	19	428	3	16	1	0	53	520
2021	16	459	3	14	0	0	2	494
2022	13	445	1	11	0	0	4	474
2023	8	447	2	10	0	0	11	478
2024	4	395	1	11	1	0	16	428

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	463	22.8	20.3	n/a
1991	448	22.8	19.6	n/a
1992	427	22.9	18.6	56.9
1993	508	25.6	19.8	57.1
1994	486	26.5	18.3	58.2
1995	458	25.9	17.7	59.4
1996	458	25.9	17.7	59.4
1997	481	26.6	18.1	58.4
1998	495	27.0	18.3	63.2
1999	520	29.1	17.9	68.1
2000	487	29.1	16.7	69.8
2001	521	30.0	17.4	74.9
2002	503	28.1	17.9	78.5
2003	503	28.1	17.9	78.5
2004	535	30.0	17.8	80.6
2005	543	28.7	18.9	85.1
2006	516	27.7	18.6	83.1
2007	510	34.8	14.7	80.8
2008	518	29.5	17.6	85.3
2009	496	33.0	15.0	85.3
2010	537	32.8	16.3	88.1
2011	545	35.5	15.3	89.9
2012	577	33.2	17.3	91.9
2013	586	31.6	18.5	92
2014	545	29.2	18.6	93.4
2015	550	29.0	18.9	100
2016	514	29.0	17.7	100
2017	538	28.5	18.8	100
2018	523	29.8	17.5	100
2019	522	31.2	16.7	100
2020	520	29.2	17.7	100
2021	494	30.9	15.9	100
2022	474	26.0	18.1	99.4
2023	478	27.5	17.3	100
2024	428	27.5	15.5	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	463	22.8	20.3	n/a
1991	448	22.8	19.6	n/a
1992	427	22.9	18.6	56.9
1993	508	25.6	19.8	57.1
1994	486	26.5	18.3	58.2
1995	458	25.9	17.7	59.4
1996	458	25.9	17.7	59.4
1997	481	26.6	18.1	58.4
1998	495	27.0	18.3	63.2
1999	520	29.1	17.9	68.1
2000	487	29.1	16.7	69.8
2001	521	30.0	17.4	74.9
2002	503	28.1	17.9	78.5
2003	503	28.1	17.9	78.5
2004	535	30.0	17.8	80.6
2005	543	28.7	18.9	85.1
2006	516	27.7	18.6	83.1
2007	510	34.8	14.7	80.8
2008	518	29.5	17.6	85.3
2009	496	33.0	15.0	85.3
2010	537	32.8	16.3	88.1
2011	545	35.5	15.3	89.9
2012	577	33.2	17.3	91.9
2013	586	31.6	18.5	92
2014	545	29.2	18.6	93.4
2015	550	29.0	18.9	100
2016	514	29.0	17.7	100
2017	538	28.5	18.8	100
2018	523	29.8	17.5	100
2019	522	31.2	16.7	100
2020	520	29.2	17.7	100
2021	494	30.9	15.9	100
2022	474	26.0	18.1	99.4
2023	478	27.5	17.3	100
2024	428	27.5	15.5	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Hills Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$7,887
2018	$8,813
2019	$9,036
2020	$9,181
2021	$9,346
2022	$10,619

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Hills Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 347^th of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 307^th of 377 Elementary schools	6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Hills Elementary School)	21.4	34.8	13.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Meridian Public Schools)	25.7	29.8	4.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Hills Elementary School)	29.7	36.3	6.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Meridian Public Schools)	30.2	22.6	7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Hills Elementary School)	21.6	45.3	23.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Meridian Public Schools)	27.7	44.1	16.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Hills Elementary School)	19	29.7	10.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Meridian Public Schools)	31.5	31.7	0.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	48.8	56.7	7.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Hills Elementary School)	28.9	37.1	8.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Meridian Public Schools)	27.8	35.7	7.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	43	51.9	8.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Hills Elementary School)	16.6	25	8.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Meridian Public Schools)	16.9	23.3	6.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	38.9	44.3	5.4%
5th Grade Science (West Hills Elementary School)	34.5	42	7.5%
5th Grade Science (Meridian Public Schools)	39.2	47.2	8%
5th Grade Science (Mississippi)	55.9	64.3	8.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	522	478	8.4%
African American	493	447	9.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	4	2	50%
Hispanic	8	10	25%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	16	8	50%
Two or More Races	0	11
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near West Hills Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)				MAAP Mathematics (2024)				MAAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
West Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	4100 32nd Street	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4474	428	28	15.5	100.0%	4 (0.9%)	395 (92.3%)	11 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.7%)	28.3	287^th of 390 public elementary schools	26.4%		23.3	307^th of 377 public elementary schools	18.6%	20	52.7	37.7	29.5		46.0	34.1	27.4		62.0	$10,619
Poplar Springs Elementary School	Public	K-5	4101 27th Avenue	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-4455	382	29	13.2	100.0%	38 (9.9%)	314 (82.2%)	10 (2.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	41.5	238^th of 390 public elementary schools	39.0%		30.7	276^th of 377 public elementary schools	26.8%	38	57.8	37.6	53.7		51.6	18.8	46.3		68.5	$12,059
Meridian Prekindergarten Academy	Public	PK	3930 14th St	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(601) 484-4463	151	9	15.9	100.0%	1 (0.7%)	140 (92.7%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)								(n/a)
G.W. Washington Carver Elementary	Public	K-5	900 44th Ave	Meridian	39307	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(601) 484-4482	532	34	15.7	100.0%	17 (3.2%)	490 (92.1%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.1%)	10.3	368^th of 390 public elementary schools	5.6%					(n/a)	31.3	24.7	32.5		13.2	20.2	23.4		52.0
Parkview Elementary School	Public	K-5	1225 26th Street	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 484-3616	379	29	13.0	100.0%	3 (0.8%)	362 (95.5%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	12.9	353^rd of 390 public elementary schools	9.5%		15.2	335^th of 377 public elementary schools	11.1%	18	20.3	31.7	37.1		17.4	26.7	37.1		51.4	$12,497
Crestwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	730 Crestwood Dr.	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 482-0395	352	24	14.4	100.0%	7 (2.0%)	324 (92.0%)	14 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	16.7	339^th of 390 public elementary schools	13.1%		27.7	288^th of 377 public elementary schools	23.6%	51	20.9	21.3	40.6		19.4	19.7	50.1		68.8	$12,988
Northeast Lauderdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	6750 Newell Road	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 485-4882	746	64	11.7	70.5%	224 (30.0%)	443 (59.4%)	26 (3.5%)	13 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (5.1%)	42.4	231^st of 390 public elementary schools	40.8%		41.8	222^nd of 377 public elementary schools	41.1%	9	47.3	60.5			25.3	60.5				$11,667
Southeast Lauderdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2362 A Long Creek Road	Meridian	39301	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 486-2500	564	37	15.1	66.8%	370 (65.6%)	170 (30.1%)	10 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.1%)	52.8	186^th of 390 public elementary schools	52.3%		55.9	159^th of 377 public elementary schools	57.8%	27	53.2	61.6			42.6	60.3				$10,040
West Lauderdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	10350 Highway 495	Meridian	39305	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 737-2279	725	51	14.1	38.2%	581 (80.1%)	98 (13.5%)	8 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.7%)	73	97^th of 390 public elementary schools	75.1%		70.7	102^nd of 377 public elementary schools	72.9%	5	70.1	79.4			38.5	72.8				$9,636
Clarkdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7000 Highway 145	Meridian	39031	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 693-4463	542	41	13.3	35.4%	471 (86.9%)	48 (8.9%)	6 (1.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.2%)	88.1	31^st of 390 public elementary schools	92.1%		83	50^th of 377 public elementary schools	86.7%	19	80.7	71.4	70.6	54.9	72.6	72.8	75.0	71.9	92.6	$10,512

Frequently Asked Questions about West Hills Elementary School

What district is West Hills Elementary School in?

Meridian Public Schools

What schools do graduates of West Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northwest Junior High School
High : Meridian High School

Is West Hills Elementary School a good school?

West Hills Elementary School ranks 287^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend West Hills Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 428 students attended West Hills Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of West Hills Elementary School?

Students at West Hills Elementary School are 92% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.