Gulfport School Dist, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Gulfport School Dist

Gulfport School District covers the Gulfport community on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across eleven schools. The district includes a handful of elementary schools, two middle schools, Gulfport High School, a learning center, and a vocational annex. The enrollment is sizable for a coastal Mississippi district, and the student body is diverse. A slight majority of students are Black, with White students forming the next largest group and a smaller Hispanic population. The district sits within Harrison County, a coastal area known for its military presence, shipping industry, and tourism economy.

On state assessments, Gulfport's results tell a mixed but mostly solid story. Math proficiency across grades three through eight hovers around the midpoint, with fourth grade the strongest performer and fifth grade the weakest. Most grades land in the narrow band between half and roughly three-fifths of students scoring proficient or above. English language arts shows wider variation. Fifth grade stands out as a particular strength, with a strong majority of students reaching proficiency, and third and fourth grades also perform well. The middle grades tell a different story. Seventh grade ELA proficiency drops notably, and eighth grade is also weaker. A parent looking at the middle school transition may want to ask the district what supports are in place as students move from elementary to secondary grades, since the dip in ELA at seventh and eighth grade is visible in the current results.

Science results are a bright spot. Fifth grade science proficiency is strong, well above where most grades sit in math or ELA. Eighth grade science is also solid, landing above the middle-grade ELA figures.

Several data points that would help round out the picture are missing. Free and reduced-price lunch counts were not available, so the economic need of the student population cannot be characterized here. Special education and English learner rates were also not reported in the data provided. No graduation rate was included, which limits the ability to speak to high school outcomes. Civil rights data, course access details, staffing figures, and attendance information were absent as well. These gaps mean the academic picture rests almost entirely on elementary and middle grade state test results.

The housing market in the district's zip codes is modest by national standards and sits below the Mississippi state benchmark. Home values vary across the district's coverage area, with some zip codes carrying considerably lower values than others, reflecting the range of neighborhoods Gulfport serves. Rents have risen recently, though rent measured against income remains in an affordable range for the area. For families considering a move into the district, housing costs are likely to be less of a barrier here than in many coastal markets elsewhere in the country.

The district brief turned up no specific parent-relevant changes such as recent referendums, curriculum overhauls, budget shifts, or new program launches. This does not mean nothing is happening; it means the search did not surface lasting, parent-facing developments worth reporting here.

What the available data does show is a district with real academic strengths in the elementary years, particularly in English language arts and science, alongside a visible slip in ELA proficiency as students enter middle school. The student body is racially diverse, the housing market is accessible, and the district offers a full pre-K through twelfth grade pathway with a vocational annex suggesting some career-oriented programming at the secondary level. Families weighing Gulfport School District would benefit from asking the district directly about middle school academic supports, high school graduation and post-secondary outcomes, and the economic demographics of the student population, since none of those pieces appear in the available data.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

6,084

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 9%

Black 51%

White 33%

Asian 1%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

11 schools are officially reported under this district.

ANNISTON AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BAYOU VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BAYOU VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

CENTRAL ELEM

GULFPORT CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

GULFPORT HIGH SCHOOL

PASS ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

THE LEARNING CENTER

GULFPORT VOCATIONAL ANNEX

TWENTY EIGHTH ST ELEM

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

52%

Grade 3

59%

Grade 4

49%

Grade 5

50%

Grade 6

54%

Grade 7

56%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

58%

Grade 3

61%

Grade 4

69%

Grade 5

58%

Grade 6

45%

Grade 7

49%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

72%

Grade 5

58%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$167,435

Year-over-year change-0.1%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$117K to $236K

vs. state typical0.86x

vs. national typical0.45x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39501	Gulfport	$117K	-1.7%	49.0%
39507	Gulfport	$211K	+1.4%	35.7%
39503	Gulfport	$228K	+1.1%	15.3%
39560	Long Beach	$236K	+0.9%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,292/mo

Year-over-year change+6.8%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,103 to $1,629/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
39501	Gulfport	$1,103	+8.7%	49.0%
39507	Gulfport	$1,406	+5.1%	35.7%
39503	Gulfport	$1,629	+5.1%	15.3%
39560	Long Beach	$1,378	+5.1%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$845/mo

Home price / national median income2.0x

Annual rent / national median income18.5%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$447/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$194,242 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.