Summary:
Zip code 39503 in Gulfport, Mississippi is served by 11 schools in the Harrison County School District — a district ranked 15th of 134 in Mississippi — spanning seven elementary, two middle, and two high schools with roughly 7,200 students. The clear standout is West Harrison High, ranked the #1 high school in Mississippi for 2025-2026, combining a 94.1% graduation rate with top scores in Algebra I, English II, and Biology. At the elementary level, Lizana Elementary (18th of 377) and Lyman Elementary (33rd of 377) are both 5-star schools, while Harrison Central Elementary posts exceptional 3rd grade scores despite having no official state rank. West Harrison Middle is a solid 4-star school ranked 35th of 260 middle schools.
The data reveal a clear socioeconomic divide. Top performers tend to have lower poverty rates — West Harrison High at 64.7%, Lyman at 65.3%, and Lizana at 74.3% — while the lowest-performing elementary schools (Bel-Aire Elementary, Crossroads Elementary, Three Rivers Elementary, River Oaks Elementary) all sit above 98% poverty. Three Rivers Elementary is the notable exception, earning 4 stars despite 99.4% poverty. Harrison Central High also faces 99% poverty and, despite jumping from 90th to 18th in state rank, its 83.2% graduation rate trails both the district and state averages.
Chronic absenteeism tracks performance closely: the weakest schools (Crossroads at 29.7%, Bel-Aire at 28.0%) have the highest rates, while the strongest (Lyman at 14.9%, Orange Grove Elementary at 16.1%) have the lowest. Science is a consistent bright spot, with every school meeting or beating the state average in 5th grade science. Math is the biggest concern — Bel-Aire and Crossroads both post 5th grade math proficiency near 22%, and River Oaks swung from 16.3% to 57.7% in one year. For parents, West Harrison High, Lyman, Lizana, and Harrison Central Elementary deliver the strongest results, while the high-poverty, high-absenteeism schools clearly need additional support.
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