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A+

Petal School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12

Serves Petal.

Petal’s School Grade A+ better than 99% of Mississippi school districts

Students
4,253
Schools
5
Spent per student
$11,074
MS $12,392
Students per teacher
13:1
Free or reduced lunch
59%
Debt
$40.9M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Petal School District

  • Its letter, A+: results better than 99% of Mississippi districts
  • Math proficiency 25 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 18 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 9 pts above the state
  • Spends 11% less per student than the MS average
  • 13 students per teacher
  • Debt of $40.9M, about $9,607 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A+: better than 99% of the 150 Mississippi school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A+
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A+
The town it serves, and its School Grade
A+Petal 11,694

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Petal. Grade by grade →

PK–2Petal Primary SchoolThis district
3–4Petal Elementary 3-4This district
7–8Petal Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Petal High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. MS

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency72%
State average 47% · 2,247 students tested
Reading / language arts60%
State average 41.7% · 2,254 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)98%
State average 89.4% · 276 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$11,074 per student · 11% below MS
Spending
Classroom instruction 56%Support & administration 36%Other 8%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 29%State 56%Federal 15%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
4,106’20
4,264’21
4,392’22
4,400’23
4,253’24

Up 3.6% since 2020–21.

Students
White 68%Black 18%Hispanic 9%Two or more races 4%Asian <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

5 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Mississippi’s other public schools.

Petal Primary School
Elementary · Grades PK–2 · Petal
1,016 students14:1
Petal Elementary 3-4
Elementary · Grades 3–4 · Petal
A+
636 students13:1
Petal Upper Elementary
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Petal
A+
632 students12:1
Petal Middle School
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Petal
A+
645 students13:1
Petal High School
High · Grades 9–13 · Petal
A
1,324 students13:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Forrest County SchoolsHattiesburg
$13,803per student
Hattiesburg Public School DistrictHattiesburg
$14,267per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Mississippi.