County schools snag A rating for first time | Free News

This week, the Mississippi Department of Education released accountability grades for the state’s schools and school districts, indicating that gains continue post-COVID as 87 percent of schools and 91 percent of school districts received a grade of “C” or better for the 2022-23 school year.

Locally, the Jones County School District received an “A” rating for the first time, with North Jones Elementary scoring an “A.” East Jones, Glade, Moselle, South Jones and West Jones elementaries all scored a “B.” West Jones and South Jones high schools scored a “B,” while Northeast Jones scored a “C.”

Laurel Magnet School of the Arts, which was recently selected as a National Blue Ribbon school, was the shining star with an “A” rating and highest number of points — 599 — than any elementary school in Jones County. Laurel High School scored a “B” with 715 points — the most among high schools in Jones County — but the Laurel School District scored a “C” grade. Other than LMSA, the elementary schools in Laurel are struggling, with Laurel Upper Elementary scoring an “F” and Laurel Middle School, Mason Elementary and Oak Park Elementary all scoring a “D.”

In 2013, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law requiring the state to implement an A-F accountability system to help “teachers, school leaders, parents and communities know how well their local schools and districts are serving their students,” according to Mississippi Department of Education.

“I’m proud to say that Mississippi has resumed its momentum from before the pandemic. This year’s grades show the great job that teachers, school leaders, staff and parents have done in helping students overcome the disruptions of the pandemic. We’re especially proud of the gains made by school districts under state leadership because of poor academic performance or state of emergency,” said Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. Raymond Morgigno.

For comparison, grades from the prior school year show that 81 percent of schools and 87 percent of districts earned a C or better, the release states.

According to MDE, “Mississippi’s school grading system considers several indicators, including how well students perform on state tests, whether students are showing improvement on those tests from year to year and whether students are graduating within four years. The system also factors in how well schools are helping English learners and their lowest-achieving students make progress toward proficiency.

“These achievements we’ve seen across our state show what’s possible for all schools and districts. And MDE will continue supporting all school districts in their work to ensure that every student is successful,” Morgigno said.

The school districts with the top five highest scores were Ocean Springs School District with a score of 810, Long Beach School District (797), Clinton Public School District (782), Petal School District (766) and Neshoba School District (766).

The top five schools within the state were West Harrison High School (916), Ocean Springs High School (903), Long Beach High School (893), Ripley High School (889) and Poplarville High School (882).

— Jeremy Pittari of Magnolia Tribune contributed to this report

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