Pine Belt Times

There were 10,723 students enrolled in Jones County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.5% fewer than the previous year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Boys made up 50.8% of the county's student body, while the other 49.2% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 48.7% of the student body, the largest percentage in Jones County schools, followed by Black students with 32.9%, 11.6% Hispanic students, 3% multiracial students and 0.3% Native American students.

West Jones High School had the highest enrollment among Jones County’s 14 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,574 students.

Mississippi's schools, with an enrollment of 436,523 in the 2023-24 academic year, are mostly divided between two ethnicities, with Black or African American students being the largest racial group at 46.86%, followed by white students at 42.14%.

Students in the state showed a significant improvement in the 2022-23 academic year, demonstrating sustained progress in their post-pandemic recovery. Overall, 87% of schools and 91% of districts achieved a grade of C or better, compared to 81% of schools and 87% of districts in the prior year.

Results from the 2022-23 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) showed students reaching an all-time high in all core subjects. Students better performed on the Math and English portion of the test, achieving grades around 5% better than in the previous year.

School name	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% change
East Jones Elementary School	772	782	1.3%
Glade Elementary School	430	421	-2.1%
Laurel High School	708	715	1%
Laurel Magnet School of the Arts	329	334	1.5%
Laurel Middle School	555	380	-31.5%
Laurel Upper Elementary School	295	286	-3.1%
Moselle Elementary School	561	562	0.2%
North Jones Elementary School	859	833	-3%
Northeast Jones High School	988	922	-6.7%
Oak Park Elementary School	480	427	-11%
South Jones Elementary School	1,070	1,068	-0.2%
South Jones High School	1,306	1,348	3.2%
West Jones Elementary School	1,022	1,071	4.8%
West Jones High School	1,516	1,574	3.8%