Summary:
Elementary schools in zip code 39501 (Gulfport, MS) serve 2,254 students across four high-poverty schools (98.6–99.4% free/reduced lunch eligibility), spanning PK-8 through two districts: Harrison County School District and Gulfport School District.
The clear standout is West Elementary, the only school above the 50th percentile statewide (ranked 151/377) and the only 3-star school in the area. West leads in 3rd–5th grade ELA (58.3% proficient) and has the lowest chronic absenteeism (23.1%), but its 5th grade math proficiency crashed to 20% — a glaring weakness. The most improved school is 28th Street Elementary, jumping from the 30th to 43rd percentile in one year. It posted the largest math gain (+12.5 points to 44.0%) and the highest science score (63.0%), despite chronic absenteeism of 31.5%. Central Elementary and North Gulfport Elementary And Middl remain the lowest performers, ranking in the bottom 20% and bottom 12% statewide, respectively.
Key takeaways: poverty is universal, yet outcomes vary widely — school-level factors matter far more than demographics. Chronic absenteeism tracks performance closely (the two weakest schools have the highest rates), though 28th Street proves improvement is possible despite attendance challenges. Lower student-teacher ratios don't guarantee success: Central has the lowest ratio (12.7) but ranks 305th, while West and 28th Street have higher ratios and outperform it. North Gulfport sits inside a top-15 district (Harrison County ranks 89th percentile) but underperforms its district by 37.8 points in math — a stark district-versus-school mismatch. Finally, 5th grade math is a systemic weak spot across all schools, while science is a relative strength, with three schools scoring near 61–63% proficiency. For parents, West Elementary is the strongest overall choice, while 28th Street is the rising school to watch.
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