The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Popps Ferry Elementary School
Popps Ferry Elementary School sits on Nelson Road in Biloxi, serving children from kindergarten through fourth grade as part of the Biloxi Public School District. It is a conventional public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is mid-sized for an elementary building in this area.
The student body reflects the racial and economic makeup of Biloxi itself. The largest share of students identifies as Black, with White students forming the next largest group, followed by Hispanic students and a smaller multiracial population. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in the category of serving a predominantly low-income community. This is characteristic of Biloxi, where the local economy has long been shaped by military employment at Keesler Air Force Base, wage-based casino resort jobs along the beach corridor, and state government offices, all of which produce a mix of household income levels across the city's neighborhoods. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a parent seeking that information would need to ask the school directly.
On the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, Popps Ferry's proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were mixed across the two tested grades. In math, third-grade proficiency landed below half of tested students, while fourth-grade proficiency crossed that midpoint. English language arts showed the opposite pattern, with third-grade proficiency slightly higher and fourth-grade proficiency lower. None of these results stand out as especially strong, and the fourth-grade ELA figure is the softest. A parent may want to look into how the school supports reading growth between third and fourth grade, particularly given the well-known third-grade reading gate in Mississippi. Participation rates for the assessments were not reported, and no multi-year trend data was available, so it is hard to say whether these results represent a stable pattern or year-to-year fluctuation.
Science testing data exists only from an older year and was suppressed. Because the school now stops at fourth grade, current fifth-grade science assessments do not apply to Popps Ferry. This gap reflects the grade band the school serves rather than a missing result a parent should read as a weak point.
The surrounding community is defined by Biloxi's identity as a Gulf Coast city with deep roots in the seafood industry, a large military presence at Keesler, and a tourism-and-casino economy along the beachfront. The city rebuilt substantially after Hurricane Katrina, including the Biloxi Bay Bridge, and has been working on redevelopment plans for commercial properties south of Highway 90. The built environment is largely auto-oriented, with Interstate 10 running through the northern sections and U.S. 90 serving as the main east-west corridor along the coast. Housing in the school's zip code sits below the national benchmark for home values and above the state benchmark by a modest margin, with rents that remain relatively affordable compared with many coastal markets. The estimated monthly mortgage runs below typical rents in higher-cost regions, which may appeal to families looking for Gulf Coast access without resort-area pricing. The broader Gulfport-Biloxi metro labor market and the ongoing casino-driven development give the area a service-and-hospitality employment base that shifts with tourism seasons.
Information on staffing ratios, attendance patterns, discipline data, course access, and specific program offerings was not available in the data provided. Title I status was also not reported. The Biloxi Public School District brief did not surface any specific parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, facility projects, or tax changes in the recent past. What is clear is that Popps Ferry operates as a neighborhood elementary school in a district within a city still defining its post-Katrina identity, balancing military families, casino-industry workers, and longtime residents. Families considering this school will find a diverse student body and a community with relatively accessible housing, and may want to supplement this picture with direct conversations about academic support, classroom resources, and how the school approaches early literacy.
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