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28th Street Elementary

Q: Is 28th Street Elementary a good school?

28th Street Elementary ranks 215 th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

215^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

28th Street Elementary is a PK-5 school in Gulfport, MS, serving 359 students in a high-poverty community where 99.44% of students qualified for free/reduced lunch in 2024-25. The school is part of the Gulfport School District, a strong district ranked in the 72nd percentile statewide with 4 stars. However, 28th Street itself has been a consistent 2-star school for the past decade, with rankings bouncing between the 30th and 48th percentiles. In 2025-26, it ranked 214th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools (43rd percentile), up from a low of 267th (30th percentile) in 2024-25.

The school's most pressing challenge is chronic absenteeism. In 2023-24, 31.5% of students were chronically absent, compared to district and state averages of 21.5% and 23.9%. This rate has climbed sharply from 16.8% in 2018-19 and is among the highest in the Gulfport area. Attendance appears to separate 28th Street from higher-performing neighbors. For example, Bayou View Elementary — the #1 ranked elementary school in Mississippi — has just 7.2% chronic absenteeism despite serving a similarly high-poverty population. Academically, 28th Street trails the district and state in most subjects, with 3rd-grade ELA (38.9%) and 3rd-grade math (46.3%) being especially weak. Math has been particularly fragile; 4th-grade math proficiency fell to just 25.5% in 2024-25 before recovering to 44.4% in 2025-26.

There are some encouraging signs. Fourth-grade ELA reached 62.2% in 2025-26, nearly matching the district average, and 5th-grade science has trended upward from 37.3% in 2022-23 to 63.0% in 2025-26. The school also outperforms Central Elementary, a nearby 1-star school with similar poverty and absenteeism challenges. Yet the gap with nearby peers remains significant. West Elementary, just 1.48 miles away, holds a 3-star rating with similar demographics and notably higher scores, while Bayou View demonstrates that high-poverty schools can excel. For parents, the clearest takeaway is that attendance and early-grade support are the biggest levers for improvement at 28th Street.

359

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,297

Per pupil spending ?

54.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

3034 46th Avenue
Gulfport, MS 39501

(228) 867-2140

District: Gulfport School District

Students who attend 28th Street Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Gulfport Central Middle
High:	Gulfport High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

77.2%

Two or more races:

8.6%

Hispanic:

7.8%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare 28th Street Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 41st percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (49% vs 54% meeting standards)

!Near the bottom of Gulfport School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg60%

Mississippi avg54%

215^th of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Gulfport School District

37^th of 133Gulfport School District among Mississippi districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	44.2	215 of 377	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.9	266 of 380	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.6	235 of 380	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	216 of 358	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.0	190 of 355	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.1	198 of 352	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.4	224 of 354	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	251 of 351	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	40.3	239 of 406	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.1	234 of 394	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.2	219 of 402	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.5	244 of 414	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.4	201 of 418	51.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science63%-8 vs state

English Language Arts49%-4 vs state

Mathematics44%-6 vs state

4.9

15 ratings · 15 written reviews

5★14

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Working at 28th Street Elementary is a rewarding, satisfying job which I absolutely love. All the students know how much the teachers love them and want what is best for them. The whole faculty and staff work very hard at ensuring the students are getting fun, engaging lessons that promote a love of learning. Our students are growing in reading, writing, and math. They are accepting the challenges we present to them with a positive attitude and are not afraid to try. I am so proud of all the students at 28th Street Elementary! The Buccaneers are Anchored in Excellence! Close Quote

by a citizen
Saturday, April 13, 2013

I volunteer at this school in the BOOST program. I am so impressed with this program and the entire staff. They welcome me and make me feel like part of the staff. It is a beautiful school with a very caring staff. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, April 12, 2013

The family nights at 28th Street are so much fun. My children and I make it to as many as possible. This week Mayor Schloegel, Councilman Casey, and other presenters took part in the program. To top it off, Coach Calhoun for Move to Learn was there to get everyone up and exercising together. We loved it. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, April 12, 2013

This school is wonderful! As a military parent, I initially made the choice to attend a school in another district. I was not pleased with the curriculum and found the Common Core Curriculum offered by the Gulfport School District to be more challenging for my son. Moving him to 28th Street Elementary was one of the best decisions I could have made. He was challenged and participated in the Gifted program, strings program, and served as a student council member. His teacher was supportive in everyway! Thank you to the teachers and administrators for a job well done. Close Quote