The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Central Elem
Central Elementary sits on Pass Road in Gulfport, part of the Gulfport School District, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school's enrollment is moderate for an elementary serving this grade band, with fairly even distribution across the early grades and a small pre-kindergarten cohort. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Central among schools serving an economically disadvantaged population. The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller White and Hispanic populations and a scattering of students identifying as two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those figures are absent here rather than implied to be low.
On the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, Central's English language arts performance is the clearest bright spot. Proficiency in ELA sits in a moderate range across grades three and four, then rises to a stronger level in grade five, where roughly half of tested students reached proficient or above. Science results for grade five land in a similar moderate-to-strong range. Math tells a different story. Proficiency rates in math are lower across all three tested grades, with the highest coming in grade four and the lowest in grade five. The gap between ELA and math is consistent and wide enough that a parent may want to ask the school how it approaches math instruction and what interventions are in place for students working below grade level. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the provided information whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. Participation rates for the state assessments were also not reported.
The school is not a charter and has no magnet designation indicated in the data. Title I status was not provided, though a school with this free-or-reduced-price-lunch profile would typically qualify. Information on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance was not available. Program offerings were not listed. Civil rights data was not provided. A parent evaluating Central would want to seek out the school directly for details on teacher experience, class sizes, behavioral policies, and any enrichment or intervention programs that exist beyond what state testing captures.
Gulfport itself is the second-most populous city in Mississippi, a coastal community shaped by its port, military installations, tourism, and healthcare sectors. Publicly reported information describes a city that rebuilt extensively after Hurricane Katrina, with civic anchors like the Mississippi Aquarium, the Port of Gulfport, and the Gulf Islands National Seashore nearby. The built environment is auto-oriented, with Interstate 10 running through the city and U.S. 90 following the coast through downtown. Schools in Gulfport are distributed across the city rather than concentrated in one area. The Gulfport School District is one of the two districts operating in the city, alongside the Harrison County School District. No parent-relevant district changes, such as budget shifts, curriculum updates, or new programs, were found in the research for this district.
Housing in the school's zip code is inexpensive relative to both state and national benchmarks. Home values sit well below the statewide typical figure and far below the national figure, and rents are modest. The estimated monthly cost of owning a home in this area is higher than the typical rent, which is common when mortgage rates are elevated and home prices are low. For families considering the neighborhood, this means rental entry is relatively affordable while buying a home carries carrying costs that may exceed renting. Home values have dipped slightly year over year, while rents have risen, reflecting the broader pattern of shelter cost increases outpacing home price growth in many lower-cost markets.
What the available picture suggests is an elementary school serving a high-poverty student population in an affordable coastal city, with respectable English language arts and science outcomes but math results that lag noticeably behind. Families drawn to the area by low housing costs and the Gulfport location would want to weigh the math gap carefully and ask the school what supports are in place, particularly as children move from third toward fifth grade where the math proficiency dips. The missing pieces in the data, staffing, programs, discipline, and special populations, are worth filling in through direct conversation with the school before making a decision.
See more original research from School Decision →