Black students were the most prevalent ethnic group in Forrest County schools in the 2024-25 school year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.
In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Forrest County, representing 46.2% of the student body.
In the 2024-25 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 0.2% when compared to the previous year.
For the 2025-26 academic year, Mississippi’s public schools enrolled 424,534 students statewide. Black or African American students represented the largest racial group at 45.09%, followed by white students at 40.56%.
| School name | Most prevalent ethnicity | % of Total Student Population | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie Attendance Center | White | 54.5% | 488 |
| Rawls Springs Attendance Center | Black | 58.4% | 214 |
| Earl Travillion Attendance Center | Black | 70.1% | 261 |
| Forrest County Agricultural High School | White | 55.2% | 562 |
| Grace Christian Elementary School | Black | 87.2% | 368 |
| Thames Elementary School | Black | 72.7% | 619 |
| Petal Primary School | White | 66.6% | 1,017 |
| South Forrest Attendance Center | White | 80% | 604 |
| Woodley Elementary School | Black | 59% | 424 |
| Petal Middle School | White | 71.9% | 645 |
| Hattiesburg High School | Black | 85.5% | 1,014 |
| Hattiesburg Steam Academy | Black | 79.9% | 263 |
| Petal Elementary School | White | 68.6% | 636 |
| N.R. Burger Middle School | Black | 80.7% | 527 |
| Hawkins Elementary School | Black | 61.8% | 283 |
| Rowan Elementary School | Black | 90.4% | 425 |
| Petal High School | White | 67% | 1,325 |
| Petal Upper Elementary School | White | 68.4% | 632 |
| North Forrest Attendance Center | Black | 63.2% | 209 |
| North Forrest High School | Black | 63% | 349 |
Information in this article was obtained from the Mississippi Department of Education. The source data can be found here.
