Perry County School District

Perry County School District serves roughly 847 students across four small schools in a rural, high-poverty Mississippi area, covering grades K-12: Perry Central High School (grades 9-12), Perry Central Middle School (grades 6-8), South Perry Elementary School (grades K-5), and Runnelstown School (grades K-5). The district is rated 2 stars, ranking 78th of 134 Mississippi districts at the 42nd percentile, with free/reduced lunch eligibility ranging from 75.7% to 88.0% across schools.

Perry Central Middle School is the district's clear standout, ranking 112th of 260 Mississippi middle schools (57th percentile) with a 3-star rating, and it is the only school consistently beating state averages in multiple subjects, including 7th grade math (71.2% proficient vs. 57.7% statewide) and 8th grade science (67.3% vs. 57.8%). Perry Central High School is the most improved, jumping from the 30th to the 47th percentile in a single year, and its Algebra I proficiency of 67.2% now slightly exceeds the state average of 66.0%. However, the high school's graduation rate of 78.8% remains well below the state's 89.2%, and Biology proficiency trails at 47.2% versus 63.1% statewide.

The elementary schools are the district's biggest concern, especially in math, where South Perry Elementary School's 3rd grade proficiency is just 22.5% versus 48.8% statewide and Runnelstown School's 5th grade math sits at 19.0% versus 49.6%. Chronic absenteeism also varies widely, from 18.0% at South Perry Elementary School (below the state average) to 27.5% at the high school, which likely contributes to its graduation challenges. With such small enrollments, year-to-year swings can be dramatic—5th grade science at Runnelstown School dropped from 71.4% to 57.2% in one year—so individual grade trends should be read cautiously. Overall, this is a middle-of-the-pack district with a standout middle school and an improving high school, but elementary math and high school graduation remain the key areas needing attention.