Hazlehurst Elementary

Hazlehurst Elementary is a PK–5 school in Hazlehurst, MS, serving 643 students in the Hazlehurst City School District, a district that ranks 86th out of 134 Mississippi districts. The school itself ranks 309th out of 377 schools statewide (18th percentile, 1-star), a position it has held for several years. Nearly all students (99.5%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and 33.7% of students were chronically absent in 2023–24—well above the state rate of 23.9%.

Mathematics is the most urgent concern for parents to know about. Proficient math rates were just 17% in 3rd grade, 27.3% in 4th grade, and 20.6% in 5th grade, compared with state averages of 48.8%, 51.5%, and 49.6%. The gap is especially stark next to Simpson Central School, where 5th grade math proficiency is 68.8%—a 48-point difference. That said, there are real bright spots. Fifth grade ELA reached 50.5% proficiency, nearly matching the state's 55.8% and far exceeding Simpson Central's 31.3%. Science also showed strength at 65.6% proficiency, close to the state's 71.5%.

Poverty alone doesn't explain the academic shortfall. Crystal Springs Elementary also has 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility yet significantly outperforms Hazlehurst in both math and ELA (4th grade math: 52.9% vs. 27.3%; 4th grade ELA: 50% vs. 39.8%). Hazlehurst also has one of the higher student-teacher ratios (17.5) among nearby schools. Encouragingly, 5th grade ELA has climbed steadily from 32% in 2022–23 to 50.5% today, suggesting reading interventions are gaining traction. Still, chronic absenteeism and persistent math gaps remain major barriers that families should watch closely.