Best Public Schools in Laurel, MS

Laurel, Mississippi, is home to 12 public schools serving 8,330 students in grades K-12: 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 3 high schools, split between the Jones County School District and the Laurel School District. The two districts paint very different pictures: Jones County schools generally rank in the middle-to-upper range of Mississippi schools, while Laurel School District schools cluster near the bottom of state rankings. Schools range in size from 253 students at Laurel Upper Elementary to 1,587 students at West Jones High School, and nearly all serve high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

The clear standout is Laurel Magnet School Of The Arts, ranked in the 93rd percentile of Mississippi elementary schools despite 100% of its students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. It posts exceptional scores—including 100% proficiency in 6th grade math—and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the dataset at just 8.0%. Among Jones County schools, Glade Elementary stands out with 85.7% proficiency in 3rd grade math and 86.9% in 5th grade science, while Northeast Jones High School leads all high schools with a 93.2% graduation rate, the lowest student-teacher ratio in the dataset (10.4), and 80.6% Biology proficiency. At the other end, several Laurel district schools struggle: Nora Davis Elementary ranks in the 3rd percentile, Laurel Middle School posts just 13.1% proficiency in 8th grade math, and Laurel High School has a 59.8% chronic absenteeism rate and an 83.2% graduation rate. Solid mid-range performers include West Jones Elementary School and East Jones Elementary.

Several patterns matter for parents. Poverty does not determine performance—Laurel Magnet proves a 100% free/reduced-lunch school can achieve elite results—but the broader pattern shows Jones County schools with 66–82% FRL eligibility outperforming Laurel district schools at 100% FRL. Chronic absenteeism is a powerful warning sign: the lowest-performing schools have the highest absenteeism rates. Many schools also show a sharp drop in math proficiency between 3rd and 5th/6th grades, suggesting the transition to more advanced content is a critical vulnerability. Finally, Northeast Jones High School's strong science outcomes and small class sizes, alongside Laurel Magnet's success, offer models worth studying for the rest of the city.