Best High Schools in Shaw, MS

Shaw, Mississippi, is served by a single high school, Shaw High School, which enrolls 200 students in grades 7–12 as part of the West Bolivar Consolidated School District.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that Shaw High School serves a very high-poverty community — 98.5% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — yet the school has some clear strengths. The student-to-teacher ratio is a favorable 11.4 to 1, meaning students can get more individual attention than in larger schools. In 2024-2025, Algebra I proficiency reached 72.2%, outperforming both the district (39.4%) and the state (67.3%). English II is another relative strong point, with proficiency around 40-41% in recent years, well above the district's 24-27%. These bright spots show that the school can achieve competitive results even while most other test scores lag behind state averages.

However, there are serious concerns. Proficiency in 7th and 8th grade ELA and math is dramatically low — for example, 7th grade ELA was just 6.9% in 2025-2026 compared to 36.7% statewide, and 8th grade math was 11.5% versus 51.4%. The school's statewide ranking has dropped from the 35th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 20th percentile in 2025-2026, and its star rating fell from 2 to 1. Chronic absenteeism affects 27.5% of students, higher than the state average of 23.9%. The district overall is ranked 123rd out of 134 districts in Mississippi. While the school's small size means percentages can swing sharply, the combination of high poverty, absenteeism, and low middle-school achievement points to foundational gaps that need targeted support.