Waynesboro Riverview School

Waynesboro Riverview School is a PK–8 public school in Waynesboro, Mississippi, serving 491 students as part of the Wayne County School District. The school holds a 1-star rating and ranks 332nd out of 377 Mississippi schools — well below its district, which sits near the middle of the state. Nearly all students (99.4%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet attendance is a bright spot: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent in 2023–2024, far below the district's 17.1% and the state's 23.9%. So attendance is not what's holding this school back.

The main concern is elementary academics, especially math. In 2025–2026, just 16.3% of 5th graders and 11.5% of 6th graders were proficient in math. Nearby Clara School, about six miles away, posted 51.1% and 58.6% in those same subjects — three to five times higher. Riverview's 3rd grade reading has also fallen sharply, from 68% proficiency in 2023–2024 to 37.3% in 2025–2026. Overall, Riverview averages about 34% proficiency across ELA, math, and science — similar to Wayne Central School (31%) but far behind Clara (55%). Since all nearby schools serve nearly identical poverty levels, these gaps point to school-level factors like instruction and curriculum rather than student background.

That said, the middle school is a genuine bright spot. Seventh grade math (43.5%) and 8th grade math (41.0%) beat district averages, and 8th grade ELA (43.6%) is the highest among nearby schools — above both district and state averages. Eighth grade science (58.9%) also tops the state average. The pattern is striking: Riverview struggles in elementary grades but becomes competitive by middle school. For parents, the takeaway is that students here can succeed, but the school's biggest challenges are concentrated in elementary reading and grades 4–6 math — areas worth watching closely.