Best Public Schools in Durant, MS

The city of Durant, Mississippi is home to two public schools - Williams-Sullivan Middle School and Durant Elementary School, both of which serve students in the Holmes County Consolidated School District. These schools face significant academic and attendance challenges, with both ranking in the bottom 20-25% of their respective school types in the state.

Williams-Sullivan Middle School has consistently received a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math ranging from 15.8% to 28.4% and 21.7% to 47.4%, respectively - well below the state averages. The school also stands out with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 23.9%. However, it does have a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 89.4%. Durant Elementary School has also struggled, ranking in the bottom 10% of Mississippi elementary schools and receiving 1-star and 2-star ratings from SchoolDigger. Its academic performance is mixed, with some grade levels performing above the district average in ELA and Math, while others are well below.

Both Williams-Sullivan Middle School and Durant Elementary School have a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage in the community. Additionally, both schools have a concerning chronic absenteeism rate of 23.9%, which likely contributes to their academic challenges. While the student-teacher ratios are relatively low, with 11.5 and 12.9 students per teacher, respectively, other factors such as instructional quality and resource allocation may be more influential in driving student outcomes in these schools.