Summary:
The Pearl River County School District contains one high school, Pearl River Central High School, which serves grades 9–12 with 952 students in Carriere, MS. Because this is the district's only high school, all district-level metrics are identical to the school's metrics. The district itself is highly ranked at #13 out of 134 districts in Mississippi, placing it in the 90th percentile with a 5-star rating.
Pearl River Central High School has shown remarkable improvement in its state ranking, jumping from #69 to #26 out of 224 high schools between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, a leap of 43 spots. The school currently sits in the 88th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating. Academically, it outperforms the state in every tested subject. Algebra I proficiency stands at 83.9% compared to the state's 66.0%, and Biology proficiency is 78.7% versus the state's 63.1% — gaps of roughly 18 and 16 percentage points respectively. English II is the school's weakest subject at 59.6%, though still well above the state average of 49.3%. The graduation rate of 89.8% narrowly exceeds the state's 89.2%.
The most significant area of concern is chronic absenteeism, which is 36.2% — far above the state's 23.9%. This is notable because high absenteeism often correlates with lower achievement and graduation rates, though the school's academic results remain strong despite this challenge. Over half of students (54.7%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school still achieves well above state proficiency averages. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.2:1. If attendance improves and English proficiency rises to match the school's math and science results, Pearl River Central High School has strong potential to climb even higher among Mississippi's top high schools.
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