Summary:
The Hinds County School District in Mississippi is served by five elementary schools—Gary Road Elementary, Gary Road Intermediate, Raymond Elementary/Carver Middle, Bolton-Edwards Elementary Middle School, and Utica Elementary Mid School—that together educate about 2,489 students across grades PK through 8, within a district ranked 93rd out of 134 statewide.
For parents, the standout schools are clear. Raymond Elementary/Carver Middle posted the best overall test proficiency in 2024-25 at 52.8%, with outstanding math and science scores—including 8th grade math at 70.8% versus a state average of 47.5%—and earned the district’s highest ranking at the 56th percentile. Gary Road Intermediate is the most consistent performer, with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (10.8%) and strong 5th grade science (78.2% proficient). Meanwhile, Bolton-Edwards Elementary Middle School is the most improved, jumping from the 13th to the 30th percentile in one year, with 4th grade math soaring from 13.9% to 53.5% proficiency. On the other end, Utica Elementary Mid School has fallen sharply to the 5th percentile, with 3rd grade math collapsing to 12.9% proficiency and overall scores dropping from 45.1% to 31.4%.
Despite high poverty—two schools serve 100% economically disadvantaged students—attendance is better than district and state averages at every school. Still, huge gaps exist within the district: 5th grade science ranged from 48.4% at Bolton-Edwards to 83.7% at Raymond in 2024-25. Middle-school math is a bright spot at Raymond and Utica, while 7th grade English Language Arts is a consistent weak area across all schools. Gary Road Elementary (PK–2) has no test data but has the lowest poverty rate and the highest student-teacher ratio of 17.6. The district should study what Raymond and Bolton-Edwards are doing right and intervene urgently at Utica, especially in early elementary math and reading.
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