Hattiesburg High School

Hattiesburg High School is a large public high school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, serving 1,014 students in grades 9 through 12 as part of the Hattiesburg Public School District. The school serves an extremely high-poverty student population—nearly 100% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch in recent years—and currently ranks in the 42nd percentile of Mississippi high schools, placing it below most of its suburban and rural neighbors in the greater Hattiesburg area.

Despite the socioeconomic challenges, Hattiesburg High posts a strong 94.4% graduation rate, above the state average of 89.2% and higher than several nearby schools, including Seminary High (85.8%), Forrest County Agricultural High School (89.9%), Purvis High School (89.9%), and Sumrall High School (91.8%). Academic proficiency, however, remains a work in progress. In Algebra I, 67.6% of students are proficient, slightly above the state average, but English II proficiency sits at 44.1% and Biology at just 49.5%—far below the state averages and dramatically behind schools like Oak Grove High School, which is only about six miles away yet ranks in the 88th percentile with much higher test scores.

Chronic absenteeism affects about 28.5% of students, above the state average but lower than several nearby schools. Over the past decade, Hattiesburg High has shown meaningful improvement, climbing from the 8th percentile in 2018 to its current ranking, and its ability to graduate over 94% of students despite near-universal poverty demonstrates real resilience and strong graduation supports. For parents, the school offers a favorable 12.2-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a clear culture of keeping students on track to graduation, while its biggest opportunities for growth lie in boosting science and English proficiency and reducing chronic absenteeism.