Pearl Public Schools

Pearl Public Schools includes 5 schools—3 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school—serving about 4,258 students across grades PK–12 in the Pearl, Mississippi area. The district ranks 44th out of 134 Mississippi districts with a 3-star rating, and its schools serve a largely economically disadvantaged population, with about 66% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

The district’s strongest academic results come from its elementary schools. Pearl Upper School is the top-ranked school in the district (81st of 377 elementary schools, 4 stars) and improved significantly over the past year. It exceeds state proficiency rates in 4th and 5th grade ELA, math, and science, with standout 5th grade results in math (64.6% vs. 49.6% statewide) and science (80.2% vs. 71.5%). Northside Elementary also posts strong early-grade scores, particularly 3rd grade math (65.3% proficient) and ELA (58.3%), and has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at 13.2%. Pearl Lower Elementary serves the youngest students and shows solid attendance, though it has no state ranking.

Secondary schools present a more mixed picture. Pearl Junior High School has an extraordinarily high Algebra I end-of-course proficiency rate of 97.8%, far above the state average, but its 7th grade math (47.8%) and ELA (34.3%) both trail Mississippi averages, suggesting a mid-level slump. Pearl High School is the district’s biggest concern: its rank fell sharply from the 66th to 38th percentile, with English II proficiency dropping 17 points and Algebra I falling 10 points in one year. Chronic absenteeism rises with grade level—from roughly 13–17% in elementary schools to 22.6% at junior high and 26.3% at the high school. Even so, Pearl High’s graduation rate is impressive at 95.7%, well above the state’s 89.2%. Overall, families will find excellent elementary instruction and a strong early-grade foundation, but middle and high school performance—especially at Pearl High—needs attention.