Durant Elementary School

Durant Elementary School serves 242 students in grades K-5 in Durant, Mississippi, a small community where every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is part of the Holmes County Consolidated district, which ranks in the bottom 13% of Mississippi districts, yet Durant has become a genuine standout. Over the past five years, the school has climbed from the bottom 2% of state rankings to the 36th percentile with a 2-star rating — making it the highest-ranked elementary school in its district, ahead of S.V. Marshall Elementary School and William Dean Junior Elementary School.

Durant's turnaround is driven by several clear strengths. Chronic absenteeism has plummeted from a staggering 62.8% in 2021-2022 to just 17.8%, which is not only far below the district's 30.9% but also better than the state average of 23.9%. Science instruction is a standout: 76.7% of 5th graders scored proficient, beating the state average and edging out Kosciusko Upper Elementary's 74.2%. English Language Arts also shows steady growth as students move through grade levels — the same group of students improved from 18% proficiency in 3rd grade to 33.3% by 5th grade.

Challenges remain, particularly in early literacy. 3rd grade ELA proficiency dropped sharply to 19.4% in the most recent year, far below the state's 48.5%, and math scores fluctuate significantly from year to year. The student-teacher ratio has also risen from 12.6 to 16.1 over two years, which is worth monitoring. Still, Durant is competitive with schools from much stronger districts — it outscored Long Creek Elementary School, from a 4-star district, in 5th grade science and 3rd grade math. If the early-literacy gap can be closed and attendance gains sustained, Durant is well positioned to keep climbing.