Summary:
Claiborne County Public Schools in Port Gibson, Mississippi, has a single elementary school, A. W. Watson Elementary, serving grades PK–5 with an enrollment of 531 students, and is part of a district ranked 129th out of 134 districts in the state.
Because this is the only elementary school in Claiborne County Public Schools, the district's test scores are exactly the same as the school's. A. W. Watson Elementary is a high-poverty school where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, which provides important context for its academic results. The school's overall ranking has declined from the 15th percentile (1 star) in 2023-2024 to the 6th percentile (0 stars) in 2025-2026. In 2025-2026, math proficiency was very low, especially in 4th grade (15.9%) and 5th grade (17.9%), while 3rd grade math showed improvement to 31.0%. English Language Arts proficiency fell across all grades from the prior year, with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade scores at 22.4%, 32.9%, and 25.4%, respectively—all well below state averages by 20 to 30 points.
There are some notably positive findings for parents to consider. Science is a clear bright spot: 5th-grade science proficiency reached 53.7%, far exceeding the school's math and ELA scores and cutting the state gap to just 17.8 points. Chronic absenteeism is also a strength, at 15.3%—much better than the district rate of 30.5% and even better than the state rate of 23.9%. The school also saw strong growth in 3rd-grade math, rising from 18.2% to 31.0%. However, these gains are not yet holding in later grades, and the school has lost ground in state rankings despite these bright spots. For parents, the takeaway is that A. W. Watson Elementary faces serious academic challenges in math and reading, but shows resilience in science, attendance, and early-grade math growth that could be built upon with targeted support.
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