Pearl River Central Elementary School

Pearl River Central Elementary is a large public school in Carriere, Mississippi, serving 1,414 students in grades Pre-K through 5th grade and part of the 5-star Pearl River County School District, which ranks 13th out of 134 districts in Mississippi. The school has shown steady improvement in recent years, rising to 106th out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools (72nd percentile) in 2025–2026—its best ranking in over a decade. It scores above the state average in 13 of 15 tested subjects, with notable strengths in 3rd grade math (62.7% proficient vs. 48.8% statewide) and 5th grade science (85.3% vs. 71.5% statewide).

Parents should look beyond the district's strong reputation, however. Since the district's elementary test scores exactly match Pearl River Central Elementary's, the district's top-tier ranking is likely driven by its middle and high schools, not this elementary. Nearby Hancock North Central dramatically outperforms PRCE—83.9% proficiency in 3rd grade math versus 62.7%—and West Hancock posts 96.7% in 5th grade science versus PRCE's 85.3%. On the other hand, PRCE generally outperforms schools in the nearby Picayune district, including Nicholson Elementary and West Side Elementary, often by substantial margins. The school also compares favorably to Poplarville Upper Elementary in most subjects.

PRCE's most pressing challenge is chronic absenteeism. At 29.3%, it exceeds the state average of 23.9% and is far higher than Hancock North Central's 18.7%. The school also has a higher student-teacher ratio (16.8) than the smaller Hancock campuses (around 13–14). With 66.1% of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch, the school serves a largely economically disadvantaged population yet continues to improve. Fifth grade math remains the weakest subject, hovering near the state average, suggesting a need for targeted support in upper-elementary math. For parents, PRCE offers a solid, improving education with genuine strengths in science and early-grade math, though it trails a cluster of smaller nearby schools that achieve higher results with similar poverty levels and lower class sizes.