Petal Elementary 3-4

Petal Elementary 3-4 is a grades 3–4 school in Petal, MS, serving 636 students as part of the Petal School District, one of Mississippi's strongest districts (11th of 134). The school currently ranks 48th among 377 Mississippi elementary schools (87th percentile, 4 stars), making it the highest-performing school in the Petal–Hattiesburg area by a wide margin. Between 2015–16 and 2021–22, it earned 5 stars every year and ranked as high as 9th in the state. While it has settled into the 4-star range recently, it still outranks all nearby schools, including Rowan Elementary, Woodley Elementary, and Hawkins Elementary.

Academically, Petal Elementary posts proficiency rates well above state averages in every tested subject and grade. In 2025–26, 3rd grade ELA was 61.8% proficient vs. 48.5% statewide, and 4th grade math was 70.2% vs. 51.5% statewide — a 13-to-19-point advantage across all four tested categories. What truly sets Petal apart is consistency: all four subjects fall between 61.8% and 70.2% proficient. Nearby schools may spike higher in a single subject — Woodley Elementary reached 88.9% in 3rd grade math — but they also have major weaknesses elsewhere. Petal delivers strong results across the board with no dramatic swings by subject or grade.

Petal also excels at attendance. Just 10.6% of students were chronically absent in 2023–24 — less than half the state average (23.9%) and the best rate among all nearby schools; Thames Elementary was next at 11.9%, while several area schools exceed 20%. The school serves a comparatively lower-poverty population (60% free/reduced lunch) than most Hattiesburg area schools, and it feeds from Petal Primary School, which serves PK–2 with similarly strong attendance. The main watch item is a recent math dip — 3rd grade math fell from 74.5% to 64.9% and 4th grade math from 77.6% to 70.2% — which could reflect cohort differences or a longer-term trend worth monitoring.