Agricola Elementary School

Agricola Elementary School serves 543 students in grades PK-6 in Lucedale, Mississippi, as part of the George County School District. The school has earned a 4-star rating and now ranks 97th out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools (74th percentile), a major jump from 160th place the previous year. With a 16:1 student-teacher ratio and 56.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school's overall proficiency rate of about 63.4% comfortably outpaces the district average (60.3%) and the state average (53.2%).

Agricola's greatest academic strengths are in the early grades and in science. In 3rd grade, 73.1% of students are proficient in both ELA and math, far exceeding state averages of 48.5% and 48.8% respectively. The school's 5th grade science program is a signature strength, with an 88.4% proficiency rate that beats the state average of 71.5% and matches the score at East Central Upper Elementary, a 5-star school located about 11 miles away in the Jackson County School District. In fact, Agricola outperforms East Central Upper in 3rd grade ELA (73.1% vs. 58.4%) and math (73.1% vs. 61.5%), showing this school can compete with the best in the region during the early elementary years.

The school's main vulnerability is 4th grade. Proficiency drops to 40.8% in ELA and 48.7% in math, falling below both district and state averages. This contrasts sharply with nearby Central Elementary School, where 4th grade proficiency reaches 75.7% in ELA and 83.3% in math. Chronic absenteeism is another concern: while Agricola's rate of 24.7% is better than the district's 31.8%, it has more than doubled since 2020-2021 (from 9.4%) and now slightly exceeds the state average. If the school can address the 4th grade slump and protect instructional time through better attendance, it has a realistic path toward becoming one of the top elementary schools in the region.