The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Math. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Gorenflo Elementary School
GorenfloElementary School sits on Elder Street in Biloxi, serving first through fourth graders in the Biloxi Public School District. It is a neighborhood elementary school in a city shaped by casino tourism, a major Air Force installation, and a working waterfront identity that stretches back generations. The surrounding community is auto-oriented, with U.S. Highway 90 running along the beach past the casino resorts and Interstate 10 cutting through the city's northern sections. Housing here is relatively affordable compared with state and national benchmarks, with home values sitting below the Mississippi median and well below the national figure. Rents are moderate. Home values have ticked downward recently, which may reflect the area's ongoing post-Katrina redevelopment dynamics and the broader Gulf Coast housing market.
The school serves a student body that is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a smaller White population and a handful of students identifying as Asian or multiracial. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places Gorenflo firmly in the category of schools serving high-poverty communities. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so families wanting detail on those services would need to ask the school directly.
On Mississippi's MAAP assessments, Gorenflo's results tell a mixed but improving story as students move up through the grades. Third grade math proficiency sits below half of tested students, and third grade ELA is similar. By fourth grade, math proficiency jumps to where nearly two-thirds of tested students score proficient or above, a clear bright spot. Fourth grade ELA improves only slightly over third grade, remaining below the halfway mark. This pattern suggests the school is moving students forward in math more effectively than in reading by fourth grade, though the ELA results may prompt a parent to look into how literacy instruction and interventions are structured, especially in the earlier grades. Science proficiency data exists only from an older assessment cycle and is suppressed, likely because the school no longer serves the grade level where science was tested. Current science results for the grades Gorenflo actually serves were not available.
Because Gorenflo serves only grades one through four, there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit coursework, and no career pathway data to evaluate. Those measures belong to the upper grades in the district. The school's academic picture is limited to the foundational elementary years, and the state testing data covers only grades three and four.
Information on discipline, attendance, staffing ratios, course access, and Title I status was not provided. The district brief did not surface specific parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, facility updates, or referendum activity, so there is little to report on recent district-level initiatives. Program offerings beyond the standard curriculum were not available either.
Biloxi itself is a city of distinct threads. Keesler Air Force Base, home to the 81st Training Wing, is a major employer and shapes the local population with military families cycling through. The casino industry along the beachfront employs many residents, and state government offices add a layer of civilian public-sector jobs. The city has six National Register historic districts, a Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, and the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art designed by Frank Gehry. Hurricane Katrina's destruction and the long rebuilding effort remain central to understanding the area, and the city continues planning for redevelopment of commercial properties south of Highway 90. Publicly reported population figures show a modest decline since the 2020 census. Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service recently began serving the city, adding a transportation option.
For a family considering Gorenflo, the school is a small elementary campus serving a high-need community with encouraging fourth grade math results and room to grow in reading. The housing market around it is among the more affordable on the Gulf Coast. The gaps in available data, particularly around student support services and special populations, mean that direct conversation with the school would be the best next step for parents wanting a fuller picture.
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