Ocean Springs named top school district in Mississippi; West Harrison named best high school
West Harrison High School is ranked the top-rated high school for the second year in a row.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) - The Mississippi State Department of Education (MDE) released accountability grades for the 2022-23 school year, and among the top performing school districts are Ocean Springs and Long Beach.
Ocean Springs School District is now ranked the top-performing school district on the 2023 Mississippi State Accountability System. The district’s overall score was 810, earning them an “A” rating for the tenth consecutive year.
Long Beach School District moved to second place, dropping from first last year.
West Harrison High School is ranked the top-rated high school in the state for the second year in a row. The following schools are Ocean Springs and Long Beach High Schools, making the top three highest-rated high schools all from South Mississippi.
First-year Ocean Springs School District Superintendent Michael Lindsey says the latest results from MDE are a tribute to the community-wide effort put forth by the teachers, staff, administrators, students, and parents of OSSD.
“The accomplishments of this year’s accountability ratings speak to the amazing teamwork of our district,” says Lindsey. “The data released is a testament to our teachers, staff, administration, parents, and students, and their commitment to excellence. We are excited about what each of our schools accomplished, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for OSSD!”
Poplarville High School is also among the top five high schools in the state. The school was eighth on the list last year.
Bayou View Elementary School with Gulfport School District is rated top elementary school in South Mississippi.
The scores are made up of several factors, including statewide student assessments. According to the data, overall students scoring proficient and advanced reached an all-time high in subjects like Mathematics, English Language Arts and U.S. History.
The most noticeable growth is from Moss Point School District, which went from being a C-rated district last year to now being ranked a B. The graduation rate is 87.9 percent compared to last year’s 79.4 percent.
A-rated school districts in South Mississippi include:
Biloxi Public School District
Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District
Pass Christian Public School District
Jackson County School District
Hancock School District
Harrison County School District
Stone County School District
Gulfport School District
Poplarville Separate School District
George County School District
Pascagoula Gautier School District
Only two districts in South Mississippi were rated a B: Moss Point Separate School District and Poplarville School District.
The scores are meant to help educators, school leaders, parents and community members learn how well local schools and districts are performing. For more information on this years’ scores, visit https://msrc.mdek12.org/
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