Best Public Schools in Zip Code 39501

ZIP code 39501 in Gulfport, MS contains 5 schools—4 elementary schools and 1 middle school—serving approximately 2,822 students in grades PK–8, with no high schools in the immediate area and every school serving a highly impoverished population (over 98% free/reduced lunch eligibility).

For parents comparing schools, West Elementary is the clear standout, ranking 151st of 377 Mississippi elementary schools with a 3-star rating and strong 4th grade proficiency (64% ELA, 69.3% math). However, its 5th grade math proficiency drops to just 20%, a major red flag. 28th Street Elementary is the most improved, jumping from the 30th to 43rd percentile in one year, with math proficiency rising from roughly 31.5% to 44% and the highest 5th grade science score in the ZIP code (63%). Gulfport Central Middle, the only middle school, has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at 16.8%, but its academic proficiency still trails state averages in most subjects.

Central Elementary and North Gulfport Elementary And Middle need the most attention. Central Elementary ranks in the 19th percentile with a 32.3% chronic absenteeism rate and math proficiency of just 28.4%. North Gulfport, part of the highly successful Harrison County School District, ranks in the 12th percentile—a dramatic gap between district success and school performance. Science proficiency is a relative strength across all schools, even where math and ELA lag. Since all schools in the Gulfport School District and Harrison County face similar poverty levels, these differences suggest that within-school factors like leadership, instruction, and attendance interventions matter—poverty is not destiny.