Pine Belt Times

Among the ethnicities represented in Forrest County schools, Black was the most prevalent among the county students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Of the 10,838 students attending Forrest County schools, 46.2% were Black. White students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 40.1% of Forrest County student body.

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Forrest County, representing 45.7% of the student body.

Rawls Springs Attendance Center had the most diverse student body in Forrest County including Asian, Black, Hispanic, white, and multiracial.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 0.4% when compared to the previous year.

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	Most prevalent ethnicity	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
Petal Primary School	White	67.8%	1,089
Earl Travillion Attendance Center	Black	70.5%	258
Grace Christian Elementary School	Black	88.7%	345
North Forrest Attendance Center	Black	67.8%	214
Rowan Elementary School	Black	94.6%	388
Petal Elementary School	White	68.3%	631
North Forrest High School	Black	70.6%	347
Petal High School	White	67.5%	1,335
Dixie Attendance Center	White	55.6%	507
Rawls Springs Attendance Center	Black	64.2%	215
N.R. Burger Middle School	Black	85.2%	533
Forrest County Agricultural High School	White	61.4%	586
Petal Middle School	White	69.6%	680
Hattiesburg Steam Academy	Black	85.4%	205
Hawkins Elementary School	Black	69.2%	289
Woodley Elementary School	Black	62.3%	461
Thames Elementary School	Black	85.9%	537
South Forrest Attendance Center	White	80.9%	565
Petal Upper Elementary School	White	71.6%	665
Hattiesburg High School	Black	89.8%	988