Pine Belt Times

Among the ethnicities represented in Wayne 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 2,977 students attending Wayne County schools, 54% were Black. White students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 39.3% of Wayne County student body.

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Wayne County, representing 53.4% of the student body.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 2.7% 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
Waynesboro Riverview Elementary School	Black	85.6%	458
Wayne Central Elementary School	Black	80.3%	452
Beat Four Elementary School	White	55.1%	390
Wayne County High School	Black	54.3%	816
Clara Elementary School	White	86.1%	454
Buckatunna Elementary School	Black	57.3%	407