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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 69 th of 232 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

69^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 232 Mississippi High Schools

Better than 70% of Mississippi high schools

Summary

Pearl River Central High School is a public high school in Carriere, Mississippi, serving 997 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Pearl River County School District, which is ranked 32 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Academically, Pearl River Central High School has consistently ranked in the top 30-70 high schools in Mississippi over the past decade, with a current ranking of 69 out of 232 schools. The school's performance on state assessments is generally higher than the state average, particularly in Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History. However, the nearby Poplarville Junior Senior High School, ranked 2nd in the state, outperforms Pearl River Central in most subject areas. Conversely, Picayune Memorial High School has lower proficiency rates in several subjects compared to Pearl River Central.

While Pearl River Central High School maintains a four-year graduation rate around 88-89%, which is slightly above the state average and comparable to Poplarville, the school has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 23.9% in 2021-2022 to 36.2% in 2022-2023. This rate is significantly higher than the 23.9% rate at Poplarville Junior Senior High School. Additionally, Pearl River Central has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 54.96% to 99.72% over the past few years, which is much higher than the 50.27% rate at Poplarville.

952

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,272

Per pupil spending ?

54.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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 Elementar
Middle:	Pearl River Central Junior High

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 — 63rd percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Mississippi median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 24% Mississippi)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg64%

Mississippi avg66%

69^th of 232

Mississippi public high schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 7 pts since 2015

From top 37% (2015) to top 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

32^nd of 130Pearl 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
2025	71.6	69 of 232	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.7	61 of 228	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.9	55 of 226	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	72 of 228	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	72 of 231	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.0	38 of 233	83.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	47 of 233	79.8%	★★★★☆
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 (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I76%+9 vs state

Biology72%+10 vs state

U.S. History172%+3 vs state

English II57%+8 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

School	Students/Teachers	Ranking (2025)	Ranking (2024)	MAAP Algebra I (2025)	MAAP English II (2025)	MAAP Biology (2025)	MAAP U.S. History1 (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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%)	71.6	69^th of 232 public high schools	70.3%	70.7	61^st of 228 public high schools	73.2%	8	75.9	57.3	72.4	72.3	$11,272
Center For Alternative Education	Public	6-12	461 Burgetown Rd.	Carriere	39426	Pearl River County	Pearl River County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6852	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
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%)	76.3	55^th of 232 public high schools	76.3%	64.6	80^th of 228 public high schools	64.9%	25	75.4	65.3	56.8	74.2	$12,080
Pmhs Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	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)
Center For Alternative Education	Public	7-12	900 East Third Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 799-0684	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Poplarville Career Development Center	Public	7-12	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%)	82.9	31^st of 232 public high schools	86.6%	91	2^nd of 228 public high schools	99.1%	29	82.3	61.3	84.2	91.3	$11,259

Frequently Asked Questions about 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 Elementar
Middle : Pearl River Central Junior High

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 69^th of 232 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 district is Pearl River Central High School in?

Pearl River County School District

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MSMississippi High School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Carriere, MS

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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.

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAAP Algebra I (2025)	MAAP English II (2025)	MAAP Biology (2025)	MAAP U.S. History1 (2025)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Biology End of Course	MAAP U.S. History1 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%)	71.6	69^th of 232 public high schools	70.3%		70.7	61^st of 228 public high schools	73.2%	8	75.9	57.3	72.4	72.3	$11,272
Center For Alternative Education	Public	6-12	461 Burgetown Rd.	Carriere	39426	Pearl River County	Pearl River County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6852	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
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%)	76.3	55^th of 232 public high schools	76.3%		64.6	80^th of 228 public high schools	64.9%	25	75.4	65.3	56.8	74.2	$12,080
Pmhs Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	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)
Center For Alternative Education	Public	7-12	900 East Third Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 799-0684	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Poplarville Career Development Center	Public	7-12	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%)	82.9	31^st of 232 public high schools	86.6%		91	2^nd of 228 public high schools	99.1%	29	82.3	61.3	84.2	91.3	$11,259