Ocean Springs named #1 school district in Mississippi

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Thursday, education on the coast is in the spotlight as the Mississippi Department of Education releases its accountability grades for the 2022-23 school year.

The Ocean Springs School District shows hard work pays off, as the district is named best in the state, earning the top ranking and good grades across the board. They rank first with an overall score of 810 along with their 10th consecutive “A” rating.

“We work hard every year, but this is a historic occasion for us that we finally got #1 in the entire state of Mississippi,” said Magnolia Park Elementary principal Alison Block.

“They work so hard for it,” said teacher Nikki Pettis. “They put in so much effort throughout the year, and it’s kind of intimidating for a little bit.”

Over at Magnolia Park Elementary, the students have been hard at work.

“We’re super excited,” said teacher Kaitlin Cates. “Third grade is a big year for our students. They really put in the work and the effort to get us that #1 spot and have all of our students at our school pass for that third grade reading gate. It’s just a huge accomplishment and it’s a big deal to be a part of that.”

In addition to the district being ranked #1 in the state for the first time in the accountability model’s history, Ocean Springs High School is ranked as the #2 high school in Mississippi.

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