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Nicholson Elementary

Q: Is Nicholson Elementary a good school?

Nicholson Elementary ranks 194 th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

194^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 377 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Better than 49% of Mississippi elementary schools

Summary

Nicholson Elementary is a K-6 school in Picayune, MS, serving 324 students in the Picayune School District, a solidly mid-tier district rated 3 stars. The school currently ranks 194th out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools (49th percentile), a meaningful jump from the previous year's 31st percentile. Nicholson serves a high-poverty population, with 84.6% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Its student-teacher ratio of 14.6 is actually more favorable than several nearby schools, including Roseland Park Elementary (20.3) and East Hancock Elementary (20.7).

Academically, Nicholson shows a clear "cumulative fade" pattern. Third-grade math is a genuine bright spot — 67.5% proficiency, well above the district (45.0%) and state (48.8%), and the highest among same-district elementary schools. But by 6th grade, math proficiency drops to 32.6%, far below the district (51.1%) and state (52.7%). English language arts tells a similar story: 3rd grade meets state averages, but 6th-grade ELA (38.8%) trails both the district (48.4%) and state (48.0%). Science in 5th grade (60.4%) also falls below district (72.6%) and state (71.5%) levels.

The school's biggest obstacle is chronic absenteeism. In 2023–2024, 43.4% of students were chronically absent — nearly double the state average (23.9%) and higher than every other nearby elementary school, including West Side Elementary (33.3%) and East Hancock Elementary (17.9%). The rate has climbed steadily from 22.4% in 2018–2019. The recent ranking improvement is encouraging, but Nicholson remains below its historical peak of the 56th percentile in 2016–2017. Comparisons with West Hancock Elementary, which serves a similarly high-poverty population yet ranks in the 92nd percentile, suggest that attendance and instructional continuity are the key areas where Nicholson can grow.

324

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,841

Per pupil spending ?

84.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1887 Hwy 11 South
Picayune, MS 39463

(601) 798-6309

District: Picayune School District

Students who attend Nicholson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Picayune Junior High School
High:	Picayune Memorial High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.5%

African American:

25.9%

Hispanic:

21.3%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 45th percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (43% vs 24% Mississippi)

!Science scores 11 pts below the Mississippi average

!Near the bottom of Picayune School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg53%

Mississippi avg53%

194^th of 377

Mississippi public elementary schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Picayune School District

50^th of 134Picayune 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	48.1	194 of 377	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.3	265 of 383	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.2	246 of 390	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.1	287 of 377	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.9	237 of 382	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.6	233 of 381	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.5	213 of 397	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.6	242 of 404	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.2	179 of 406	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	43.7	217 of 394	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	36.6	249 of 402	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	31.7	303 of 394	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	31.2	309 of 408	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.1	247 of 414	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	34.2	303 of 418	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	45.3	236 of 403	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	38.8	258 of 392	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.1	242 of 394	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science60%-11 vs state

Mathematics49%~ state avg

English Language Arts48%-3 vs state

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Schools Near Nicholson Elementary

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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 English Language Arts (2026)				MAAP Mathematics (2026)				MAAP Science (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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
Nicholson Elementary	Public	K-6	1887 Hwy 11 South	Picayune	39463	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6309	324	22	14.6	84.6%	154 (47.5%)	84 (25.9%)	69 (21.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.6%)	48.1	194^th of 377 public elementary schools	48.5%		33.3	265^th of 383 public elementary schools	30.8%	71	51.3	52.1	52.1	38.8	67.5	54.1	45.8	32.6	60.4	$10,841
South Side Upper Elementary	Public	3-6	1500 Rosa Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-1105	310	21	14.4	79.4%	185 (59.7%)	97 (31.3%)	17 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	67.2	115^th of 377 public elementary schools	69.5%		63	146^th of 383 public elementary schools	61.9%	31	53.8	59.4	55.9	53.4	35.9	57.9	72.7	68.5	76.2	$9,768
South Side Lower Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	400 South Beech Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 799-0683	320	19	17.0	82.2%	184 (57.5%)	101 (31.6%)	23 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)								(n/a)										$9,726
West Side Elementary	Public	K-6	111 Kirkwood Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-3625	444	26	16.9	74.1%	267 (60.1%)	110 (24.8%)	36 (8.1%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	42.7	218^th of 377 public elementary schools	42.2%		40.9	228^th of 383 public elementary schools	40.5%	10	46.5	53.9	52.8	46.5	38.6	31.7	26.4	37.5	79.3	$10,055
Roseland Park Elementary	Public	K-6	1610 Gilcrease Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6824	370	18	20.3		210 (56.8%)	106 (28.6%)	35 (9.5%)	9 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	55.4	163^rd of 377 public elementary schools	56.8%		39.1	239^th of 383 public elementary schools	37.6%	76	44.3	62.5	53.3	53.5	48.1	37.5	46.7	60.5	71.2	$11,030
West Hancock Elementary	Public	K-5	23350 Highway 43	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Hancock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 586-6054	349	26	13.4	75.1%	305 (87.4%)	13 (3.7%)	16 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.7%)	89.3	29^th of 377 public elementary schools	92.3%		73.3	91^st of 383 public elementary schools	76.2%	62	69.1	61.2	78.7		69.1	69.4	72.2		96.7	$13,554
Pearl River Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	116 Alphabet Ave	Carriere	39426	Pearl River County	Pearl River County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 799-4519	1,414	84	16.8	66.1%	1,191 (84.2%)	43 (3.0%)	107 (7.6%)	3 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (4.6%)	70.8	106^th of 377 public elementary schools	71.9%		67.4	125^th of 383 public elementary schools	67.4%	19	59.5	54.0	55.7		62.7	61.2	51.4		85.3	$9,417
Hancock North Central School	Public	K-5	6122 Cuevas Town Road	Kiln	39556	Hancock County	Hancock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 255-7641	404	29	13.9	69.8%	380 (94.1%)	6 (1.5%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	93.3	13^th of 377 public elementary schools	96.6%		83.7	50^th of 383 public elementary schools	86.9%	37	69.6	71.4	75.9		83.9	81.4	73.7		93.1	$12,517
East Hancock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4221 Kiln Delisle Rd.	Kiln	39556	Hancock County	Hancock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 255-8372	633	30	20.7	48.5%	549 (86.7%)	17 (2.7%)	32 (5.1%)	8 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.6%)	96.7	3^rd of 377 public elementary schools	99.2%		91.8	18^th of 383 public elementary schools	95.3%	15	74.7	76.6	83.9		86.8	91.8	87.5		93.7	$11,019

Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholson Elementary

What schools do graduates of Nicholson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Nicholson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Picayune Junior High School
High : Picayune Memorial High School

What district is Nicholson Elementary in?

Picayune School District

How many students attend Nicholson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 324 students attended Nicholson Elementary.

Is Nicholson Elementary a good school?

Nicholson Elementary ranks 194^th of 377 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Nicholson Elementary?

Students at Nicholson Elementary are 48% White, 26% African American, 21% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 MAAP test scoresNewAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 26, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesSep 23, 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.