SC Mississippi News

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

Of the 2,905 students attending Simpson County schools, 52.5% were Black. White students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 38.5% of Simpson County student body.

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Simpson County, representing 50.4% of the student body.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 3.4% 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
Magee Middle School	Black	56.3%	272
Mendenhall High School	Black	54.1%	529
Magee High School	Black	61.9%	404
Mendenhall Elementary School	Black	47.7%	543
Mendenhall Junior High School	Black	53.1%	226
Simpson Central School	White	57.3%	405
Magee Elementary School	Black	57%	526