Is Independence High School a good school?

Independence High School ranks 144 th of 228 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 539 students attended Independence High School.

What is the racial makeup of Independence High School?

Students at Independence High School are 45% African American, 43% White, 6% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Independence High School?

Independence High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : East Tate Elementary School

Independence High School

Summary:

Independence High School is a public high school located in Coldwater, Mississippi, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 462 students. The school is part of the Tate County School District, which is ranked 82 out of 130 districts in Mississippi and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Independence High School has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with a racial breakdown of 51.08% White, 38.31% African American, 4.76% Hispanic, and 5.63% two or more races, its academic performance, as measured by MAAP test scores, is generally lower than the state and district averages. The school also has an exceptionally high rate of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, with over 99% of students qualifying in the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. However, Independence High School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.4 to 14.8 over the past three school years, which is lower than the ratios at some nearby schools like Olive Branch High School and Strayhorn High School.

The school's statewide ranking has been declining over the past several years, from 104 out of 231 Mississippi high schools in 2020-2021 to 144 out of 228 in 2023-2024, suggesting that its performance is not keeping pace with other high schools in the state. While Independence High School spends more per student, $9,117 in the 2018-2019 school year, compared to some nearby schools, its lower academic performance and high poverty rates present opportunities for the school and Tate County School District to implement targeted interventions and strategies to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 7-12

3184 Highway 305
Coldwater, MS 38618

(662) 233-4691

District: Tate County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
144^th of 228 Mississippi High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,071

Feeder schools for Independence High School:

Elementary:

East Tate Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 539

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.5%

White:

43.4%

Two or more races:

6.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.5%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

Compare Independence High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence High School ranks worse than 86.4% of middle schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.09. (See more...)

Compare Details Independence High School ranks worse than 63.2% of high schools in Mississippi. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.37. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Independence High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 Independence High School has the largest high school student body size in the Tate County School District. Racial makeup is: African American (44.5%), White (43.4%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Tate County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence High School is 15.8, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Tate County School District! (See more...)

Compare Independence High School employs 33.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence High School is $11,071. 1 high schools in the Tate County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Independence High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Independence High School 228^th of 264 Mississippi public middle schools. (See Independence High School in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Independence High School 144^th of 228 Mississippi public high schools. (See Independence High School in the ranking list.)

Tate County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tate County School District 82^nd of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence High School?

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Rank History for Independence High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MS State Percentile
2019	26.66	194^th	264	26.5%
2021	31.72	165^th	257	35.8%
2022	37.48	159^th	257	38.1%
2023	30.42	163^rd	243	32.9%
2024	16.09	228^th	264	13.6%

See the entire list of Mississippi High School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Independence High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MS State Percentile
2004	11.83	219^th	232	5.6%
2005	10.30	223^rd	232	3.9%
2006	20.50	212^th	232	8.6%
2007	43.31	151^st	232	34.9%
2008	50.10	129^th	235	45.1%
2009	42.35	153^rd	235	34.9%
2010	50.86	123^rd	235	47.7%
2011	57.06	108^th	244	55.7%
2012	68.00	68^th	241	71.8%
2013	54.38	108^th	238	54.6%
2014	49.88	123^rd	236	47.9%
2015	18.37	181^st	226	19.9%
2016	38.41	144^th	231	37.7%
2017	42.47	134^th	237	43.5%
2018	49.67	119^th	233	48.9%
2019	41.14	136^th	233	41.6%
2021	52.46	104^th	231	55.0%
2022	51.71	121^st	228	46.9%
2023	42.40	136^th	226	39.8%
2024	39.37	144^th	228	36.8%

See the entire list of Mississippi High 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 Independence High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	378	298	0	0	n/a	n/a	676
1991	368	300	0	0	n/a	n/a	668
1992	361	324	0	0	n/a	n/a	685
1993	361	333	0	1	n/a	n/a	695
1994	387	337	0	0	n/a	n/a	724
1995	364	328	0	0	n/a	n/a	692
1996	364	328	0	0	n/a	n/a	692
1997	345	317	0	0	n/a	n/a	662
1998	361	335	0	1	n/a	n/a	697
1999	370	318	1	2	n/a	n/a	691
2000	367	302	0	2	n/a	n/a	671
2001	402	313	1	3	n/a	n/a	719
2002	410	340	1	10	n/a	n/a	761
2003	410	340	1	10	n/a	n/a	761
2004	393	340	0	9	n/a	n/a	742
2005	368	330	0	9	n/a	n/a	707
2006	389	338	2	10	n/a	n/a	739
2007	258	206	0	7	n/a	n/a	471
2008	260	206	0	7	n/a	n/a	473
2009	266	183	0	9	0	0	458
2010	260	177	0	9	0	0	446
2011	294	215	0	21	0	0	530
2012	360	234	0	22	0	0	616
2013	386	234	1	21	0	1	643
2014	372	233	1	26	0	2	634
2015	379	218	2	28	0	0	627
2016	248	138	1	17	0	0	404
2017	216	162	2	16	0	0	396
2018	200	146	2	13	0	1	362
2019	285	179	1	23	0	9	497
2020	268	181	3	25	0	9	486
2021	256	172	0	28	0	20	476
2022	254	159	0	21	0	22	456
2023	236	177	1	22	0	26	462
2024	234	240	1	30	0	34	539

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 Independence High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	676	38.2	17.6	n/a
1991	668	40.6	16.4	n/a
1992	685	36.4	18.8	55
1993	695	35.0	19.9	56.7
1994	724	33.4	21.7	55.1
1995	692	33.4	20.7	56.6
1996	692	33.4	20.7	56.6
1997	662	31.2	21.2	56.6
1998	697	34.3	20.3	56.7
1999	691	39.8	17.4	69.8
2000	671	40.5	16.6	68.7
2001	719	38.4	18.7	68.7
2002	761	39.6	19.2	71
2003	761	39.6	19.2	71
2004	742	38.4	19.3	57.4
2005	707	39.4	17.9	57.3
2006	739	41.3	17.9	69.4
2007	471	26.5	17.8	41.8
2008	473	26.3	18.0	59
2009	458	23.8	19.2	63.8
2010	446	25.3	17.5	65.7
2011	530	28.9	18.3	71.3
2012	616	31.3	19.6	70.8
2013	643	33.3	19.2	72.3
2014	634	32.4	19.5	72.2
2015	627	33.0	19.0	71.8
2016	404	20.0	20.2	69.3
2017	396	22.4	17.6	72.2
2018	362	20.3	17.7	72.7
2019	497	32.7	15.1	69.6
2020	486	30.8	15.7	68.3
2021	476	32.0	14.8	99.4
2022	456	33.8	13.4	99.3
2023	462	33.4	13.8	99.4
2024	539	33.9	15.8	72.5

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 Independence High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	676	38.2	17.6	n/a
1991	668	40.6	16.4	n/a
1992	685	36.4	18.8	55
1993	695	35.0	19.9	56.7
1994	724	33.4	21.7	55.1
1995	692	33.4	20.7	56.6
1996	692	33.4	20.7	56.6
1997	662	31.2	21.2	56.6
1998	697	34.3	20.3	56.7
1999	691	39.8	17.4	69.8
2000	671	40.5	16.6	68.7
2001	719	38.4	18.7	68.7
2002	761	39.6	19.2	71
2003	761	39.6	19.2	71
2004	742	38.4	19.3	57.4
2005	707	39.4	17.9	57.3
2006	739	41.3	17.9	69.4
2007	471	26.5	17.8	41.8
2008	473	26.3	18.0	59
2009	458	23.8	19.2	63.8
2010	446	25.3	17.5	65.7
2011	530	28.9	18.3	71.3
2012	616	31.3	19.6	70.8
2013	643	33.3	19.2	72.3
2014	634	32.4	19.5	72.2
2015	627	33.0	19.0	71.8
2016	404	20.0	20.2	69.3
2017	396	22.4	17.6	72.2
2018	362	20.3	17.7	72.7
2019	497	32.7	15.1	69.6
2020	486	30.8	15.7	68.3
2021	476	32.0	14.8	99.4
2022	456	33.8	13.4	99.3
2023	462	33.4	13.8	99.4
2024	539	33.9	15.8	72.5

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 Independence High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$8,999
2018	$9,117
2019	$8,664
2020	$9,802
2021	$10,129
2022	$11,070

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence High 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 194^th of 264 Middle schools	Ranks 163^rd of 243 Middle schools	6.4%
Ranks 136^th of 233 High schools	Ranks 136^th of 226 High schools	1.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Independence High School)	15.3	21.8	6.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Tate County School District)	17.4	23.1	5.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	39	40.2	1.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Independence High School)	41.9	34.7	7.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Tate County School District)	31.6	29.3	2.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.1	55.6	4.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Independence High School)	18.8	37	18.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Tate County School District)	22.1	38.7	16.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	35.5	40.5	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Independence High School)	23.4	21.9	1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Tate County School District)	21.4	27.5	6.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	44.8	46.1	1.3%
8th Grade Science (Independence High School)	48.4	50.6	2.2%
8th Grade Science (Tate County School District)	43.4	46.3	2.9%
8th Grade Science (Mississippi)	52.7	53.3	0.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Independence High School)	44.6	65.8	21.2%
End of Course Algebra I (Tate County School District)	47.8	64.8	17%
End of Course Algebra I (Mississippi)	49.3	65.8	16.5%
End of Course English II (Independence High School)	25.6	35.3	9.7%
End of Course English II (Tate County School District)	35.4	42.6	7.2%
End of Course English II (Mississippi)	43.9	50.1	6.2%
End of Course Biology (Independence High School)	58.2	42.5	15.7%
End of Course Biology (Tate County School District)	52.1	41.5	10.6%
End of Course Biology (Mississippi)	57.2	60.9	3.7%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Independence High School)	67.1	81	13.9%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Tate County School District)	62.6	77.1	14.5%
End of Course U.S. History1 (Mississippi)	55.5	71.4	15.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	497	462	7%
African American	179	177	1.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	23	22	4.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	285	236	17.2%
Two or More Races	9	26	188.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	69.6%	99.4%	29.7%

Schools Near Independence High 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 Algebra I (2024)	MAAP English II (2024)	MAAP Science (2024)	MAAP Biology (2024)	MAAP U.S. History1 (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 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 End of Course	Total
Independence High School	Public	7-12	3184 Highway 305	Coldwater	38618	Tate County	Tate County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 233-4691	539	34	15.8	72.5%	234 (43.4%)	240 (44.5%)	30 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.3%)	39.4	144^th of 228 public high schools	36.8%		42.4	136^th of 226 public high schools	39.8%	8	29.9	20.9	31.2	25.3	53.2	33.3	39.6	55.0	76.2	$11,071
Senatobia High School	Public	9-12	221 Warrior Drive	Senatobia	38668	Tate County	Senatobia Municipal School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 562-4230	461	36	12.9	66.8%	171 (37.1%)	267 (57.9%)	15 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	50.4	121^st of 228 public high schools	46.9%		50.7	118^th of 226 public high schools	47.8%	3					59.7	42.1		62.1	74.2	$14,086
Senatobia Tate County Regional Vocational Center	Public	10-12	165 West Central Avenue	Coldwater	38618	Tate County	Tate County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 622-5142	0	6	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Panola Vocational Comp	Public	7-12	601 Railroad Street	Como	38619	Panola County	North Panola School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 526-5804	0	6	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hernando High School	Public	9-12	805 Dilworth Lane	Hernando	38632	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 429-4170	1,482	80	18.4	21.1%	1,113 (75.1%)	173 (11.7%)	92 (6.2%)	22 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	78 (5.3%)	89.4	5^th of 228 public high schools	97.8%		89.6	7^th of 226 public high schools	96.9%	2					92.7	65.0		82.4	88.8	$9,205
Lewisburg High School	Public	9-12	1755 Craft Road	Olive Branch	38654	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 890-6708	1,286	77	16.5	17.0%	1,014 (78.8%)	141 (11.0%)	49 (3.8%)	30 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (4.0%)	90	4^th of 228 public high schools	98.2%		89.7	6^th of 226 public high schools	97.3%	2					91.9	68.7		81.6	89.4	$10,062
Byhalia High School (9-12)	Public	9-12	278 Highway 309 North	Byhalia	38611	Marshall County	Marshall County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 838-2206	440	34	12.8	100.0%	72 (16.4%)	235 (53.4%)	108 (24.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.0%)	32.5	157^th of 228 public high schools	31.1%		54.3	107^th of 226 public high schools	52.7%	50					46.7	35.4		45.4	89.1	$10,557
North Panola High School	Public	9-12	500 HWY 51 North	Sardis	38666	Panola County	North Panola School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 487-1070	359	26	13.6	100.0%	7 (1.9%)	351 (97.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.3	213^th of 228 public high schools	6.6%		17.5	194^th of 226 public high schools	14.2%	19					30.4	19.3		28.4	60.9	$11,413
Olive Branch High School	Public	9-12	9366 E Sandidge Road	Olive Branch	38654	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 893-3344	1,077	72	15.0	50.0%	308 (28.6%)	561 (52.1%)	93 (8.6%)	19 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	94 (8.7%)	70	65^th of 228 public high schools	71.5%		67.6	65^th of 226 public high schools	71.2%						76.6	49.8		75.8	76.1	$10,585
Strayhorn High School	Public	7-12	86 Mustang Drive	Sarah	38665	Panola County	Tate County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 562-9246	414	27	15.0	68.6%	283 (68.4%)	77 (18.6%)	33 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.1%)	39.5	143^rd of 228 public high schools	37.3%		59.3	95^th of 226 public high schools	58.0%	48	31.2	19.4	35.1	34.9	49.4	36.1	40.9	46.2	83.6	$12,055

Independence High School

Tate County School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence High School

Rank History for Independence High School

Enrollment information for Independence High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence High School