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Pearl River Central High School

Q: Is Pearl River Central High School a good school?

Pearl River Central High School ranks 26 th of 224 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

26^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 224 Mississippi High Schools

Better than 88% of Mississippi high schools

Summary

Pearl River Central High School in Carriere, MS, is a public high school serving 952 students in grades 9–12 within the Pearl River County School District, which is rated 5 stars and ranks 13th among Mississippi districts. The school itself ranks 26th out of 224 Mississippi high schools in 2025–2026, an 88th-percentile performance that earns a 4-star rating. With a graduation rate of 89.8%, it nearly matches the state average, yet its test scores are well above state averages across all core subjects.

Compared with nearby schools, Pearl River Central sits between its closest rivals. It clearly outperforms Picayune Memorial High School, which ranks 71st in the state, graduates just 80.7% of students, and posts notably lower Algebra I (79.0%) and Biology (69.1%) proficiency rates. However, Poplarville High School remains the local benchmark: it ranks 11th in Mississippi, graduates 96.1% of students, and holds advantages in Algebra I (87.8% vs. 83.9%) and Biology (88.5% vs. 78.7%). Pearl River Central does match Poplarville in English II at 59.6% proficiency.

The school's biggest weaknesses are chronic absenteeism and English performance. In 2023–2024, 36.2% of students were chronically absent, well above the state rate of 23.9% and nearly double Poplarville's 20.6%. English II proficiency has hovered around 48–61% in recent years, lagging behind the school's own strong math and science scores. That said, the school has shown clear momentum, climbing to its best state ranking in the available data, and reducing absenteeism while strengthening literacy support could be the key to closing the gap with the state's top schools.

952

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,272

Per pupil spending ?

54.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

7407 Highway 11
Carriere, MS 39426

(601) 798-1986

District: Pearl River County School District

Feeder schools for Pearl River Central High School:

Elementary:	Pearl River Central Elementary School
Middle:	Pearl River Central Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.5%

Hispanic:

5.4%

African American:

4.1%

See top rated Mississippi high schools

Compare Pearl River Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 66th percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (75% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Mississippi high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 26% Mississippi)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg75%

Mississippi avg60%

26^th of 224

Mississippi public high schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 22 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 133Pearl River County School District among Mississippi districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	82.2	26 of 224	88.4%	★★★★☆
2025	71.6	69 of 232	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.7	61 of 228	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.9	55 of 223	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	71 of 223	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	72 of 224	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.0	38 of 221	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	47 of 214	78.0%	★★★★☆
2017	76.5	39 of 237	83.5%	★★★★☆
2016	63.8	78 of 231	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.2	83 of 226	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.7	75 of 236	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.2	82 of 238	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.4	122 of 241	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.8	143 of 244	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.6	93 of 235	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	56.4	106 of 235	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.0	113 of 235	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	46.8	139 of 232	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	50.3	130 of 232	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	61.4	96 of 232	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	73.3	34 of 232	85.3%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I84%+18 vs state

Biology79%+16 vs state

English II60%+10 vs state

3.3

4 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 29, 2022

The administration really does not care about the students except the ones they have known all of their lives. We have reached out to teachers, admin, counselors and the social worker regarding getting help for our son and year after year, nothing. The other local school system has much more support and truly cares about their students. Close Quote

Schools Near Pearl River Central High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP Algebra I (2026)	MAAP English II (2026)	MAAP Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Pearl River Central High School	Public	9-12	7407 Highway 11	Carriere	39426	Pearl River County	Pearl River County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-1986	952	59	16.2	54.7%	814 (85.5%)	39 (4.1%)	51 (5.4%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	39 (4.1%)	82.2	26^th of 224 public high schools	88.4%		71.6	69^th of 232 public high schools	70.3%	43	83.9	59.6	78.7	$11,272
Picayune Memorial High School	Public	9-12	800 Fifth Avenue	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 798-1380	940	61	15.4	62.7%	559 (59.5%)	279 (29.7%)	71 (7.6%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.2%)	68.4	71^st of 224 public high schools	68.3%		76.3	55^th of 232 public high schools	76.3%	16	79.0	51.3	69.1	$12,080
Pmhs Career & Technology Center	Public	8-12	600 Goodyear Blvd.	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 798-7601	0	0	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Poplarville Career Development Center	Public	8-12	9 Career Center Circle	Poplarville	39470	Pearl River County	Poplarville School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 795-8343	0	0	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Poplarville High School	Public	9-12	#1 Hornet Drive	Poplarville	39470	Pearl River County	Poplarville School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 795-8424	540	43	12.4	49.6%	409 (75.7%)	42 (7.8%)	16 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	70 (13.0%)	87.7	11^th of 224 public high schools	95.1%		82.9	31^st of 232 public high schools	86.6%	20	87.8	59.6	88.5	$11,259

Frequently Asked Questions about Pearl River Central High School

What is the racial makeup of Pearl River Central High School?

Students at Pearl River Central High School are 86% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Is Pearl River Central High School a good school?

Pearl River Central High School ranks 26^th of 224 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pearl River Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 952 students attended Pearl River Central High School.

What schools feed into Pearl River Central High School?

Pearl River Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pearl River Central Elementary School
Middle : Pearl River Central Middle School

What district is Pearl River Central High School in?

Pearl River County School District

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Schools in Carriere, MS

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.