Summary:
The Lamar County School District in Mississippi serves 8 elementary schools spanning grades PK–8, with roughly 4,979 students across rural and suburban communities. For parents, the district is a solid choice overall — it earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the top quarter of Mississippi districts — but school-level experiences vary significantly.
If you’re looking for academic strength, Sumrall Elementary School leads the district in combined 3rd–5th grade ELA and math proficiency at 65.0%, despite slipping from a 5-star to a 4-star ranking over the past few years. Bellevue Elementary is the district’s largest school (1,145 students) and currently holds the highest state rank (79th of 377), with an impressive 80.2% proficiency in 5th grade science and a steady upward trajectory. Oak Grove Elementary stands out in math, posting 70.9% proficiency in 5th grade math — far above the district average of 52.0% and a model worth replicating. Longleaf Elementary has the best attendance in the district (11.1% chronic absenteeism) and solid 4th grade ELA scores. Baxterville School, despite 78% poverty and only 217 students, posts strong science scores and shows that smaller rural schools can excel in targeted areas.
On the other end, Lumberton Elementary School needs the most attention: it ranks 274th in the state, has the highest poverty (90.2%) and chronic absenteeism (24.9%), and only 9.3% of 5th graders are proficient in math. Purvis Lower Elementary serves PK–2 only, while Purvis Upper Elementary is improving its state rank but still lags in upper-elementary math and ELA. Overall, most schools beat state averages, with science a district-wide strength. The biggest opportunities lie in 5th grade math intervention, attendance at Lumberton, and stabilizing year-to-year swings in small schools.
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