The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Science. The lowest is 67% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on North Bay Elementary School
North Bay Elementary School sits on Pine Street in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, serving second through fifth graders in the Bay St. Louis Waveland School District. The campus is tucked into a small Gulf Coast city where residential neighborhoods meet a tourism- and arts-oriented downtown. Bay St. Louis carries a French colonial heritage that still shapes local culture, and the Old Town district along Main Street is walkable, lined with galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. The city sits on the western shore of the Bay of St. Louis, with a beachfront promenade along the Mississippi Sound and a pedestrian bridge featuring a local art walk. Casino gambling has been an economic driver since the late twentieth century, and NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, a major regional employer, lies a short drive west of town. The community has rebuilt substantially since Hurricane Katrina, with new housing on higher ground and a federally funded overhaul of underground utilities. The downtown has been revitalized through the Mississippi Main Street program. The retiree population is sizable, but working families are part of the mix, and schools and civic life sit near the downtown core rather than on separated campuses.
Academically, North Bay posted strong results on the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, known as MAAP. In math, proficiency rose notably from third grade to fourth and held steady through fifth grade, with a clear majority of tested students scoring proficient or above at every grade level. English language arts followed a similar arc, with third grade showing a solid majority proficient and fifth grade reaching the same high level as math. Fifth grade science was also strong, with roughly three quarters of students proficient or above. These are genuinely solid proficiency rates for an elementary school, and the upward trajectory from third to fifth grade suggests students are building skills as they move through the grades. Participation rate data was not available in the provided records. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the data whether these results represent improvement, stability, or decline over time.
The school serves a moderate-sized elementary enrollment across its four grades. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the economic profile of the surrounding community rather than any deficiency in the school itself. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Black population and a smaller group identifying as two or more races. Hispanic and American Indian students make up very small shares. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here. A parent may want to ask the school directly about special education services and English learner support if either is relevant to their child.
Because North Bay serves only grades two through five, there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit data, and no college-readiness information. Those measures simply do not apply to this grade band. Similarly, no course access, discipline, attendance, or staffing data was provided. The school is not a charter and is not designated as a magnet. Title I status was not reported, though the universal free or reduced-price lunch eligibility strongly suggests the school likely receives Title I support. A parent looking into discipline patterns, class sizes, or teacher experience would need to contact the school or district directly, as none of that information was available.
The housing market around North Bay is relatively affordable compared with national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the state median and well below the national figure, and rents are modest. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home is only slightly higher than local rent, meaning buying and renting are fairly close in monthly cost. Home values have dipped modestly year over year, while the broader state market has held roughly flat. Median household income has been rising nationally, and the local price-to-income ratio remains below three, which is affordable by national standards. This is a market where families earning a moderate income can realistically buy, though mortgage rates remain elevated.
North Bay Elementary presents a picture of a community elementary school with solid academic results, a universal free-lunch population, and a setting in a small, culturally distinct Gulf Coast town that has rebuilt itself with intention. For a family weighing this school, the strengths are in the classroom outcomes, especially the upper-grade proficiency. The open questions are about special populations, staffing, and school climate, none of which the available data addresses.
See more original research from School Decision →