Schools in Moss Point, MS

The Moss Point, Mississippi area contains 8 public schools serving approximately 4,062 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and these schools are split between two very different districts: the Jackson County School District, which operates four East Central schools and ranks #2 of 134 districts in Mississippi, and the Moss Point School District, which operates four schools in the city and ranks #88 of 134 districts statewide.

The standout schools are all in the Jackson County district. East Central Middle School ranks 12th of 260 Mississippi middle schools (95th percentile, 5 stars) and has improved its rank for three straight years, with 8th grade math proficiency at 79.6% versus a 51.4% state average. East Central High School ranks 20th of 224 high schools (91st percentile) with a 91.1% graduation rate and Algebra I proficiency of 86.8%, far above the state's 66.0%. East Central Upper Elementary ranks 38th of 377 elementary schools (90th percentile) and has climbed from 80th to 38th over three years. By contrast, the Moss Point District schools struggle: Moss Point High School has the highest graduation rate on the list at 92.2%, but Magnolia Middle School sits in the bottom third of the state with just 24.5% 7th grade ELA proficiency, and Escatawpa Upper Elementary has fallen to the 11th percentile with only 16.2% 3rd grade math proficiency.

The divide between the two districts is stark and systemic. East Central schools serve 48.5% to 57.9% free/reduced-price lunch students with chronic absenteeism from 16.4% to 24.0%, while Moss Point District schools serve 99.8% to 100% FRPL students with chronic absenteeism between 30.4% and 39.5%. Notably, the Moss Point District schools have smaller class sizes (student-teacher ratios of 11.3 to 15.8) than East Central schools (14.0 to 19.4), yet achievement is far lower, suggesting that poverty, absenteeism, and out-of-school factors outweigh staffing levels. East Central Lower Elementary and Kreole Primary Elementary serve PK-2 students with no test data, but already show the same gap: 23.1% versus 30.4% chronic absenteeism, respectively. Families in Moss Point face a choice between two of the best schools in Mississippi or two of the most challenged, depending entirely on which side of the district boundary they live on.