Best Public Schools in Picayune, MS

Summary:

The city of Picayune, Mississippi is home to 10 schools, including 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, all part of the Picayune School District. While the district as a whole is ranked 61 out of 130 school districts in Mississippi and rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, there are some standout schools within the district that are performing exceptionally well.

West Hancock Elementary School, which is part of the Hancock County School District, is a standout performer, ranked 91 out of 383 Mississippi elementary schools and rated 4 stars out of 5. The school has consistently high test scores, with 60% or more of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Another strong performer is South Side Elementary School, which is part of the Picayune School District and ranked 146 out of 383 Mississippi elementary schools, with 50% or more of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

While the Picayune School District as a whole is performing below the state average, the data reveals some concerning trends, such as a high chronic absenteeism rate of 23.9% across all schools and lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics at Picayune Junior High School compared to state averages. Additionally, the district-wide 100% free and reduced lunch rate suggests a high level of economic disadvantage in the community, which may be impacting student performance. Overall, the analysis highlights the need for the Picayune School District to address these challenges and ensure equitable access to quality education for all students.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAAP English Language Arts (2025)						MAAP Mathematics (2025)						MAAP Algebra I (2025)	MAAP English II (2025)	MAAP Science (2025)		MAAP Biology (2025)	MAAP U.S. History1 (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 End of Course	Total
West Hancock Elementary	Public	K-5	23350 Highway 43	Picayune	39466	Hancock County	Hancock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 586-6054	349	26	13.4	75.1%	305 (87.4%)	13 (3.7%)	16 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.7%)	73.3	91^st of 383 public elementary schools	76.2%		79.2	66^th of 390 public elementary schools	83.1%	25	60.4	57.1	54.9				62.0	65.1	62.8						88.3				$13,554
South Side Lower Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	400 South Beech Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 799-0683	320	19	17.0	82.2%	184 (57.5%)	101 (31.6%)	23 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)								(n/a)																			$9,726
Center For Alternative Education	Public	7-12	900 East Third Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 799-0684	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Nicholson Elementary	Public	K-6	1887 Hwy 11 South	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6309	324	22	14.6	84.6%	154 (47.5%)	84 (25.9%)	69 (21.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.6%)	33.3	265^th of 383 public elementary schools	30.8%		40.2	246^th of 390 public elementary schools	36.9%	19	46.9	34.7	43.1	28.5			59.2	46.9	15.7	37.1					56.8				$10,841
Picayune Memorial High School	Public	9-12	800 Fifth Avenue	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 798-1380	940	61	15.4	62.7%	559 (59.5%)	279 (29.7%)	71 (7.6%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.2%)	76.3	55^th of 232 public high schools	76.3%		64.6	80^th of 228 public high schools	64.9%	25													75.4	65.3			56.8	74.2	$12,080
Pmhs Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	600 Goodyear Blvd.	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 798-7601	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Picayune Junior High School	Public	7-8	702 Goodyear Blvd.	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-5449	465	27	17.2	69.0%	268 (57.6%)	127 (27.3%)	48 (10.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	44.6	151^st of 266 public middle schools	43.2%		49.1	137^th of 264 public middle schools	48.1%	14					26.3	36.7					53.7	35.8				54.0			$11,217
Roseland Park Elementary	Public	K-6	1610 Gilcrease Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6824	370	18	20.3		210 (56.8%)	106 (28.6%)	35 (9.5%)	9 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	39.1	239^th of 383 public elementary schools	37.6%		36.4	257^th of 390 public elementary schools	34.1%	18	29.8	58.2	50.0	41.9			38.6	60.5	31.3	28.0					60.5				$11,030
South Side Upper Elementary	Public	3-6	1500 Rosa Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-1105	310	21	14.4	79.4%	185 (59.7%)	97 (31.3%)	17 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	63	146^th of 383 public elementary schools	61.9%		72.1	101^st of 390 public elementary schools	74.1%	45	52.7	58.3	51.3	53.4			45.9	68.4	53.4	50.7					74.6				$9,768
West Side Elementary	Public	K-6	111 Kirkwood Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-3625	444	26	16.9	74.1%	267 (60.1%)	110 (24.8%)	36 (8.1%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	40.9	228^th of 383 public elementary schools	40.5%		46.8	213^th of 390 public elementary schools	45.4%	15	45.2	58.0	46.4	51.1			31.5	60.0	25.0	51.1					41.0				$10,055

Cities Near Picayune

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Carriere	1.94 mi	4	55^th
Kiln	15.05 mi	5	14^th
Poplarville	19.24 mi	5	29^th
Bay Saint Louis	25.57 mi	2	44^th
Waveland	26.42 mi	1

See the top MS Mississippi cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.