Pine Belt Times

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

Of the 3,520 students attending Marion County schools, 51.4% were white. Black students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 43.5% of Marion County student body.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Marion County, representing 51.5% of the student body.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 0.8% 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
East Marion High School	Black	75.9%	345
Columbia High School	Black	48%	471
West Marion Elementary School	White	73.5%	234
East Marion Elementary School	Black	65.5%	359
West Marion High School	White	68.7%	587
Columbia Elementary School	White	50.4%	369
Jefferson Middle School	Black	48.2%	357
West Marion Primary School	White	71%	365
Columbia Primary School	White	52.7%	433