Summary:
There are four public PK-8 schools serving Waynesboro, Mississippi (ZIP 39367) within the Wayne County School District, a high-poverty area where roughly 99% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The schools are Clara School, Beat Four School, Waynesboro Riverview School, and Wayne Central School.
Clara School is the clear academic leader, ranking in the 69th percentile statewide with a 54.5% average MAAP proficiency in 2025–26, well above the district average of 40.0% and even exceeding the state average in some subjects. Beat Four School is the most improved, raising proficiency from 33.8% to 37.9% and earning a 2-star rating, despite having the highest chronic absenteeism rate (19.5%). In contrast, Wayne Central School is the lowest performer, with just 30.6% average proficiency and a 1-star rating, while Riverview also struggles at 34.0%. All four schools share nearly identical poverty rates, so the large gap between Clara and the others points to school-level practices rather than student demographics.
The biggest concern across the area is math in grades 5–8, where proficiency often falls below 30% and sometimes below 10%, such as Wayne Central’s 5th grade math at just 2.9% and Riverview’s 6th grade math at 7.2% in 2024–25. Science is a relative strength, especially at Clara (74.4% average) and Wayne Central (59.2%). Chronic absenteeism varies widely, from 9.2% at Wayne Central to 19.5% at Beat Four, but higher absenteeism does not always mean lower scores. For parents, Clara is the standout choice, while Beat Four shows promising momentum, but Wayne Central and Riverview present ongoing challenges that need attention.
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