McLaurin Elementary

McLaurin Elementary is a Grade 2–4 school in Natchez, Mississippi, serving 642 students in the Natchez-Adams School District — the largest of the nearby elementary schools, with 100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Nearby West Elementary School serves PK–1 with 376 students, making McLaurin the anchor for the district's tested elementary grades.

McLaurin's test scores are essentially identical to the district's figures, which suggests it is the primary driver of elementary accountability results for the district. Math is a clear bright spot: 4th grade math proficiency is 45.2%, only about 6 points below the state average, while 4th grade ELA trails the state by about 15 points. The comparison with Instant Impact Global Prep, a nearby K–3 charter school serving a similarly high-poverty population, is striking. McLaurin outperforms the charter school in every tested subject — for example, 3rd grade math proficiency is 34.6% at McLaurin versus 8.8% at the charter, and 4th grade math is 45.2% versus 4.3%. This suggests that school-level instruction and stability can make a major difference even in comparable economic conditions.

Chronic absenteeism is another positive: at 17.7%, it is below the district rate of 19.6% and the state rate of 23.9%, and far below the 37.4% rate at Instant Impact Global Prep — a meaningful achievement given the school's 100% poverty rate. However, the school's state ranking has slipped from the 45th percentile in 2018–19 to the 25th percentile in 2025–26, and its star rating has dropped to 1 star. Class sizes are also growing, with the student-teacher ratio rising from 11.1 in 2023–24 to 15.1 in 2024–25. Overall, McLaurin is a mid-to-lower-performing school with real strengths in math and attendance, and it stands out as the stronger option compared with Instant Impact Global Prep for families in the area.