Summary:
Petal School District in Petal, Mississippi, operates two elementary schools that together serve grades PK–4 through a grade-span configuration: Petal Primary School (PK–2) and Petal Elementary 3-4 (3–4). The district is ranked 11th out of 134 Mississippi districts, placing it in the 92nd percentile with a 5-star rating, and both schools feed into this high-performing system.
Petal Elementary 3-4 is the clear academic standout, earning 4 stars in each of the last three school years and ranking in the 86th–87th percentile statewide. Its MAAP proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Math are well above state averages; for example, 3rd grade math reached 74.5% in 2024-2025 versus 53.3% statewide. Petal Primary School, though without current test scores due to its PK–2 span, stands out for its size and early-childhood focus, enrolling over 1,000 students — nearly two-thirds more than Petal Elementary 3-4. Both schools maintain low chronic absenteeism (12.5% and 10.6%, respectively) compared to the district's 16.5% and the state's 23.9%, and they have nearly identical student–teacher ratios around 13.3–13.6 to 1. About 60–64% of students at each school qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Math performance at Petal Elementary 3-4 is exceptionally strong, though it dipped by roughly 8–10 percentage points in 2025-2026; the school still outperforms the state by 16–19 points. ELA proficiency has been stable at 61–65%, consistently 12–15 points above state averages. The low chronic absenteeism at both schools likely contributes to their success, especially at Petal Elementary 3-4, where the rate is less than half the statewide figure. Despite serving a majority economically disadvantaged population, these schools achieve top-tier results, reflecting strong instructional practices. Together, Petal Primary's early-grade foundation and Petal Elementary 3-4's tested outcomes create a cohesive PK–4 pipeline within one of Mississippi's highest-rated districts.
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