SC Mississippi News

Among the ethnicities represented in Rankin County schools, white was the most prevalent among the county students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Of the 22,675 students attending Rankin County schools, 58.9% were white. Black students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 28.1% of Rankin County student body.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Rankin County, representing 60% of the student body.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 1.2% when compared to the previous year.

Mississippi's schools, with an enrollment of 436,523 in the 2023-24 academic year, are mostly divided between two ethnicities, with Black or African American students being the largest racial group at 46.86%, followed by white students at 42.14%.

Students in the state showed a significant improvement in the 2022-23 academic year, demonstrating sustained progress in their post-pandemic recovery. Overall, 87% of schools and 91% of districts achieved a grade of C or better, compared to 81% of schools and 87% of districts in the prior year.

Results from the 2022-23 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) showed students reaching an all-time high in all core subjects. Students better performed on the Math and English portion of the test, achieving grades around 5% better than in the previous year.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
Steen's Creek Elementary School	White	82.4%	569
Northwest Rankin Middle School	White	53.4%	1,375
Highland Bluff Elementary School	White	53.4%	500
Northside Elementary School	White	47.8%	632
Pearl Junior High School	White	43.8%	948
Florence Middle School	White	83.1%	575
Pisgah High School	White	84.1%	483
Pearl Upper School	White	47.8%	590
Richland Upper Elementary School	White	46.7%	469
Pearl Lower Elementary School	White	43.1%	740
Stonebridge Elementary School	White	57.6%	745
McLaurin Attendance Center	White	67.8%	503
Northwest Rankin High School	White	53.8%	1,894
Richland High School	White	46.4%	771
Brandon High School	White	57.5%	1,645
Puckett Elementary School	White	79.4%	360
Pelahatchie Elementary School	White	70.7%	399
Northshore Elementary School	White	74%	565
Oakdale Elementary School	White	59%	541
Flowood Elementary School	White	42.1%	473
Brandon Middle School	White	57.2%	1,153
Pelahatchie Attendance Center	White	68.4%	348
Brandon Elementary School	White	56.8%	725
Rouse Elementary School	White	56.8%	819
McLaurin Elementary School	White	70.5%	552
Northwest Elementary School	White	50.9%	495
Florence Elementary School	White	81.7%	529
Richland Elementary School	White	50.8%	360
Pisgah Elementary School	White	81.8%	548
Florence High School	White	78.1%	741
Puckett Attendance Center	White	78.2%	348
Pearl High School	Black	43.1%	1,280