Best Public Schools in Port Gibson, MS

Port Gibson, Mississippi is served by three public schools in the Claiborne County Public Schools district — A. W. Watson Elementary (PK–5, 531 students), Port Gibson Middle School (6–8, 223 students), and Port Gibson High School (9–12, 381 students) — all situated in a high-poverty community where every student qualifies for free/reduced-price lunch and the district ranks 129th out of 134 in Mississippi with a 0-star rating.

Among the three schools, Port Gibson High School is the relative standout. It is the only school in the district earning 1 star, holds the highest percentile rank (12th), and posts a 92.5% graduation rate that exceeds the state average of 89.2%. However, it also has a striking 51.9% chronic absenteeism rate — more than triple the elementary rate and double the state average. A. W. Watson Elementary has the best attendance in the district at 15.3% chronic absenteeism and recorded the strongest science scores, with 53.7% of 5th graders proficient, though its ranking has slipped from the 15th to the 6th percentile in recent years. Port Gibson Middle School has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 10:1, but it ranks at the 5th percentile and struggles most in math, with just 14.1% of 6th graders proficient compared to 52.7% statewide.

The district's most urgent challenge is mathematics, with proficiency gaps ranging from 31 to 39 points below state averages across elementary and middle school grades. Chronic absenteeism rises sharply with grade level, from 15.3% in elementary to 30.7% in middle and 51.9% in high school. Science is a relative bright spot — 8th-grade science proficiency actually exceeded the state average in 2024-2025. Most tested subjects declined year-over-year, including Algebra I dropping from 66.6% to 53.6% and English II falling from 35.6% to 25.0%. Despite favorable class sizes and a graduation rate above the state, these schools face significant systemic barriers tied to poverty and attendance. Still, the elementary school's strong attendance record and the high school's graduation success offer building blocks for future improvement.