Summary:
Zip code 39073 in Florence, Mississippi is home to two public high schools in the Rankin County School District: Florence High School, a traditional 9–12 school with 718 students, and McLaurin High School, a combined 7–12 school with 481 students. Although they serve the same community, these two schools have very different profiles and strengths.
Florence High School stands out for its graduation rate of 95.0% and strong attendance, with chronic absenteeism at just 13.8% — roughly half the state average. It is also a science powerhouse, posting 75.1% proficiency in Biology for 2025–2026, well above both the district (69.0%) and state (63.1%). McLaurin High School, despite having a much higher poverty rate (73.39% free/reduced lunch versus Florence's 39.83%), actually outperforms Florence in Algebra I and English II. McLaurin's Algebra I proficiency reached 70.7% in 2025–2026, above the state's 66.0%, and its student-teacher ratio of 8.6 to 1 offers students far more individual attention than Florence's 13.3 to 1.
Despite these differences, the two schools ended up ranked nearly identically in 2025–2026 — Florence at 87th and McLaurin at 88th out of 224 Mississippi high schools. However, McLaurin's ranking has been volatile, swinging from 97th to 37th to 88th in three years, due in part to weak 8th grade math scores, where proficiency was just 44.0% versus the district's 61.7%. Both schools also lag in U.S. History, falling well short of the district's 82.5% proficiency. For parents, Florence offers stability, better graduation rates, and excellent science outcomes, while McLaurin delivers impressive math and English results with smaller class sizes, despite challenges with attendance and middle school math. Both schools are supported by a strong district ranked in the 81st percentile statewide.
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