McLaurin Elementary

McLaurin Elementary in Florence, MS, serves 504 students in grades PK-6 and is part of the Rankin County School District, which ranks 25th out of 134 districts statewide. The school has climbed dramatically over the past decade, moving from the 47th percentile in 2017-2018 to its current ranking of 53rd out of 377 Mississippi elementary schools — placing it in the top 14% of the state with a 4-star rating. That performance is especially notable because McLaurin serves a significantly higher share of economically disadvantaged students than many nearby schools: about 75% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to roughly 48% at Florence Elementary and 41% at Brandon Elementary.

McLaurin's strongest results are in upper-elementary math and science. Fifth-grade math proficiency stands at 77.4%, and fifth-grade science at 87.1% — far surpassing Richland Upper Elementary, which has a similar poverty rate but posted just 42.3% and 77.2% respectively. McLaurin also outperforms Pearl Upper School across every subject tested. The clearest opportunity for growth is early-grade math: 3rd grade math proficiency is 54.4%, well below the district's 62.4% and far behind Florence Elementary's 75.8%.

Chronic absenteeism is McLaurin's biggest challenge. At 19.5%, it is well above the district's 13.7% and much higher than Florence Elementary's 9.5% or Brandon Elementary's 5.1% — though it has improved from 25.6% two years ago. The school also maintains a low 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio, the lowest among nearby comparison schools, and its PK-6 configuration allows for greater continuity than grade-band schools. If attendance keeps improving alongside its recent ranking momentum, McLaurin has a realistic path toward 5-star status.