Best Public Schools in Hernando, MS

Hernando, Mississippi is home to six public schools — three elementary, two middle, and one high school — serving 5,929 students in the DeSoto County School District, a mid-tier 3-star district, yet the city itself stands out as one of the strongest academic clusters in the state. The schools are organized in an unusual grade-span pattern: Hernando Elementary School (PK–1), Hernando Hills Elementary (2–3), Oak Grove Central Elementary School (4–5), two middle schools (6–8), and Hernando High School (9–12).

The standout is Lewisburg Middle School, ranked #2 in Mississippi with 5 stars and exceptional math scores — including 100% proficiency in Algebra I — along with the lowest poverty rate in the district. Hernando High School is also elite, ranked #12 with a 97.1% graduation rate and strong End-of-Course results (88.5% Algebra I, 78.1% Biology). Hernando Middle School ranks #20 and posts strong 8th grade math (86.9%) and science (76.6%). Among elementary schools, Oak Grove Central Elementary School is the only one with a state rank (#65), while Hernando Hills Elementary remains unranked but still scores above state averages in 3rd grade ELA and math.

Across the board, math is the district’s clear academic strength, with middle school math proficiency averaging 82.8% versus 58.7% for ELA — a gap that persists at the high school level. Interestingly, Hernando High School has the highest chronic absenteeism rate (29.7%) yet still achieves top-tier outcomes, while schools with lower free/reduced lunch rates generally rank higher. Several schools have slipped in recent years — Hernando High dropped from #5 to #12, Hernando Middle from #7 to #20, and Oak Grove Central from #18 to #65 — but Lewisburg Middle has improved to #2. Overall, Hernando parents can expect a highly segmented but academically strong system, particularly in STEM subjects, with multiple top-20 state rankings and graduation rates well above the state average.