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Bel-Aire Elementary

Q: Is Bel-Aire Elementary a good school?

Bel-Aire Elementary ranks 251 st of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

251^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

Bel-Aire Elementary is a K-6 school in Gulfport, MS, serving 598 students in the Harrison County School District, which ranks 15th of 134 Mississippi districts with a 4-star rating. However, the school's own performance tells a different story: it ranked 250th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools for 2025-2026, placing it in the 34th percentile with a 2-star rating. The student body is highly economically disadvantaged, with 98.49% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, placing the school in the lower tier of its own district despite being part of one of the strongest districts in the state.

Academically, the school trails its district averages in nearly every grade and subject. Mathematics is the weakest area: 5th-grade math proficiency was just 21.7% in 2025-2026, compared to a district average of 58.2% and a state average of 49.6%. English Language Arts proficiency ranged from 41.0% to 47.1% across grades 3-6, about 14-23 points below the district. There are bright spots: 5th-grade science proficiency hit 72.4%, slightly above the state average of 71.5%, and 6th-grade students performed close to state averages in both ELA and math. Just 0.14 miles away, Crossroads Elementary serves a nearly identical student population but outperformed the school in most subjects, including a 74.1% vs 48.6% gap in 6th-grade math.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern. At 28.0% for 2023-2024, it is well above both the district rate of 21.1% and the state rate of 23.9%, and it has risen sharply from just 10.3% in 2018-2019. Nearby schools with similar poverty rates have much lower absenteeism: Bayou View Elementary, which has 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility and is ranked #1 in Mississippi, has just a 7.2% chronic absenteeism rate. Lyman Elementary (14.9%) and Three Rivers Elementary (20.1%) also do much better. These comparisons suggest that attendance and engagement, not poverty alone, are key levers for improvement. The school's state rank has bounced between the 32nd and 56th percentiles over the past decade with no sustained upward trend, but the success of nearby schools with similar demographics shows improvement is achievable.

598

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,835

Per pupil spending ?

52.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

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

10531 Klein Rd
Gulfport, MS 39503

(228) 832-7436

District: Harrison County School District

Students who attend Bel-Aire Elementary usually attend:

High:

Harrison Central High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.7%

White:

18.1%

Hispanic:

16.2%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare Bel-Aire Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 50th percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (42% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

!Mathematics scores 18 pts below the Mississippi average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg64%

Mississippi avg53%

251^st of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Harrison County School District

15^th of 133Harrison County 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	34.7	251 of 377	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	193 of 380	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	256 of 380	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.0	192 of 358	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.2	170 of 355	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.8	182 of 352	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.6	253 of 354	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.4	185 of 351	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.2	178 of 406	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.2	198 of 394	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	67.4	114 of 402	71.6%	★★★★☆
2014	35.7	274 of 394	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.6	221 of 408	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	70.1	119 of 414	71.3%	★★★★☆
2011	85.6	41 of 418	90.2%	★★★★★
2010	84.9	42 of 403	89.6%	★★★★☆
2009	75.4	85 of 392	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	58.7	164 of 394	58.4%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science72%~ state avg

English Language Arts44%-7 vs state

Mathematics33%-18 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 28, 2014

This school is brilliant! My child has been at this school since 1st grade, and this is by far the friendliest neighborhood school I've sent my child too. The principal knows each parent directly and personally, even if the child is never in trouble. My child, being in advanced categories, is challenged daily. The school offers fun events regularly, such as Pickle Friday and Spring Fest, and the Kona-Ice truck comes every last Friday of the month. They also have a yearly talent show. I love this school, and I'd recommend it to any other parent looking for a family-friendly school and fun times. Close Quote

Schools Near Bel-Aire Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)						MAAP Mathematics (2026)						MAAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
Bel-Aire Elementary	Public	K-6	10531 Klein Rd	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-7436	598	38	15.8	52.3%	108 (18.1%)	387 (64.7%)	97 (16.2%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34.7	251^st of 377 public elementary schools	33.4%		49.5	193^rd of 380 public elementary schools	49.2%	58	41.0	44.8	43.4	47.1			33.3	28.7	21.7	48.6			72.4		$10,835
Crossroads Elementary	Public	K-6	10453 Klein Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-6711	547	33	16.5	52.5%	74 (13.5%)	387 (70.7%)	78 (14.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	43.9	218^th of 377 public elementary schools	42.2%		49	195^th of 380 public elementary schools	48.7%	23	44.1	35.3	51.2	53.7			28.8	39.1	22.2	74.1			80.0		$11,781
Harrison Central Elementary	Public	K-3	15451 Dedeaux Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-2701	465	27	16.9	28.4%	180 (38.7%)	188 (40.4%)	47 (10.1%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	38 (8.2%)								(n/a)	73.1						71.6								$11,248
North Gulfport Elementary and Middle	Public	K-8	4715 Illinois Avenue	Gulfport	39501	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 864-8944	921	70	13.0	49.4%	110 (11.9%)	682 (74.0%)	74 (8.0%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	43 (4.7%)	14.1	333^rd of 377 public elementary schools	11.7%		18.2	333^rd of 380 public elementary schools	12.4%		25.0	35.1	40.4	36.6	32.5	33.6	17.5	22.8	21.4	31.0	40.5	24.3	35.7	43.4	$10,692
Bayou View Elementary	Public	K-5	4898 Washington Avenue	Gulfport	39507	Harrison County	Gulfport School District	No	No	No	No	(228) 865-4625	638	38	16.7	12.1%	480 (75.2%)	81 (12.7%)	35 (5.5%)	17 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.8%)	97.5	1^st of 377 public elementary schools	99.7%		97.1	1^st of 380 public elementary schools	99.7%		90.3	88.5	92.7				92.9	87.5	76.3				93.7		$9,723
Three Rivers Elementary	Public	K-6	13500 Three Rivers Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 831-5359	492	35	14.0	33.7%	156 (31.7%)	270 (54.9%)	47 (9.6%)	12 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	73.9	93^rd of 377 public elementary schools	75.3%		72.8	96^th of 380 public elementary schools	74.7%	3	67.6	59.1	67.1	56.4			55.9	52.1	50.0	63.6			87.1		$11,544
Lyman Elementary	Public	K-6	14222 Old Hwy 49	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-2257	524	30	17.4	25.4%	311 (59.4%)	148 (28.2%)	27 (5.2%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.7%)	87.8	33^rd of 377 public elementary schools	91.2%		90.8	22^nd of 380 public elementary schools	94.2%	11	63.8	72.8	76.4	63.3			75.0	62.7	69.4	67.7			95.8		$11,256
28th Street Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3034 46th Avenue	Gulfport	39501	Harrison County	Gulfport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 867-2140	359	25	14.4	54.9%	22 (6.1%)	277 (77.2%)	28 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.6%)	44.2	215^th of 377 public elementary schools	43.0%		32.9	266^th of 380 public elementary schools	30.0%	51	38.9	62.2	46.8				46.3	44.4	41.3				63.0		$11,297
River Oaks Elementary	Public	K-6	14111 Three Rivers Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 831-1660	487	27	17.8	47.6%	109 (22.4%)	309 (63.4%)	33 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.2%)	52.6	173^rd of 377 public elementary schools	54.1%		44.8	211^th of 380 public elementary schools	44.5%	38	45.1	51.9	59.2	53.0			25.8	38.5	57.7	51.0			73.2		$10,847
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1043 Pass Road	Gulfport	39501	Harrison County	Gulfport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 865-4642	482	38	12.7	48.5%	80 (16.6%)	276 (57.3%)	81 (16.8%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (8.1%)	23.9	306^th of 377 public elementary schools	18.8%		26.7	294^th of 380 public elementary schools	22.6%	12	25.7	38.9	51.4				28.4	32.4	24.3				61.4		$10,171

Frequently Asked Questions about Bel-Aire Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Bel-Aire Elementary?

Students at Bel-Aire Elementary are 65% African American, 18% White, 16% Hispanic.

What district is Bel-Aire Elementary in?

Harrison County School District

How many students attend Bel-Aire Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 598 students attended Bel-Aire Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Bel-Aire Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bel-Aire Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Harrison Central High

Is Bel-Aire Elementary a good school?

Bel-Aire Elementary ranks 251^st of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Bel-Aire Elementary!

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.