Best Public Schools in Shaw, MS

The city of Shaw, Mississippi is served by just two schools in the West Bolivar Consolidated School District: McEvans Elementary School (grades K–6) and Shaw High School (grades 7–12), which together cover the full K–12 spectrum in a high-poverty area where virtually every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The district itself ranks in the bottom 8% of Mississippi districts, and both schools carry one-star ratings, but they are not identical in performance. McEvans enrolls 204 students with a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio, while Shaw High has 200 students and an 11.4:1 ratio, giving both schools relatively small class sizes despite the challenges they face.

McEvans Elementary is the district’s standout improver, having climbed from the 1st percentile in 2017–2018 to the 19th percentile in 2025–2026. Its 4th grade is a clear bright spot: 60.9% proficiency in English language arts and 69.5% in math, both above state averages. However, other grades lag badly—6th grade math proficiency is just 5.7%, and 5th grade math sits at 8.3%—so the school’s overall performance remains below state norms. Shaw High School, by contrast, shows very weak middle-grade scores: 7th and 8th grade ELA proficiency are under 8%, far below district and state averages. But its end-of-course exams are relatively stronger, with Algebra I at 42.5%, English II at 41.7%, and Biology at 44.7%, all above the school’s own middle-grade results.

Two findings stand out. First, the 63.8 percentage-point gap between McEvans’ 4th-grade math (69.5%) and 6th-grade math (5.7%) suggests either an exceptional 4th-grade cohort, a targeted instructional strategy, or an assessment anomaly. Second, Shaw High’s Algebra I proficiency plunged from 72.2% in 2024–2025 to 42.5% in 2025–2026, a decline worth investigating. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 24.0% at McEvans and 27.5% at Shaw High, with Shaw exceeding the state average of 23.9%. Since Shaw High houses grades 7–12 with no standalone middle school, the unique structure may also affect outcomes. For parents, the takeaway is that both schools face steep socioeconomic hurdles, but McEvans’ improving trajectory and Shaw High’s EOC performance offer reasons for cautious optimism.