The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Math. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hattiesburg Steam Academy
Hattiesburg STEAM Academy is a single-grade school serving only sixth graders within the Hattiesburg Public School District. Its enrollment is modest, concentrated entirely in one grade, which shapes the experience: students are all at the same developmental stage, and the school's identity is built around that transition year rather than a K-through-8 or secondary continuum. Because it serves only sixth grade, there is no graduation rate, no high school course access data, and no upper-grade testing to report. Those gaps reflect the grade band, not a missing record.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller Hispanic presence and a very small number of White and multiracial students. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a uniformly economically disadvantaged population. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those figures are not available here. A parent wanting to understand special-population services may want to ask the school directly.
On the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, roughly half of sixth graders reached proficiency or above in both math and English language arts. Math was slightly stronger, with a clear majority clearing the proficient bar, while ELA was just over the midpoint. For a school where the entire student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, posting proficiency rates near or above half in both subjects is a solid result. The district context reinforces this picture. Hattiesburg Public School District has publicly reported earning the state's top accountability rating for three consecutive years, along with several state and national honors, suggesting a districtwide focus on academic performance that extends to this campus.
The school sits on West Tatum Drive in Hattiesburg, a mid-sized Mississippi city that anchors the Pine Belt region. Hattiesburg is a university town, home to the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University, which gives the city a younger character than many comparably sized places in the state. Camp Shelby, the largest National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River, sits just south of the city and brings a steady military presence. Historically a railroad and lumber center nicknamed "the Hub City" for its position at the crossing of major rail lines and highways, Hattiesburg today spreads across Forrest County and into Lamar County with a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and institutional uses.
The built environment is predominantly auto-oriented. Walkable pockets exist downtown and in the historic neighborhood district, a collection of Victorian-era homes recognized by the American Planning Association, but most of the city is low-density and highway-facing. Public transit appears limited. Civic anchors include the Hattiesburg Zoo at Kamper Park, the African American Military History Museum housed in the only remaining USO club building in the country, and a Freedom Summer Trail documenting Civil Rights Movement sites. Major employers span healthcare, higher education, military installations, and branches of national manufacturers, making the institutional and public sector a dominant force in the local economy.
Housing in the school's zip code is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below the Mississippi statewide figure and far below the national figure, and rents are similarly moderate. The area experienced growth pressures following Hurricane Katrina, when evacuees and new residents arrived from coastal Louisiana and Mississippi, and the city later annexed commercial land to the west. Recent housing trends show values roughly flat year over year while rents have ticked upward.
For a family considering Hattiesburg STEAM Academy, the school offers a focused sixth-grade experience within a district that has built a track record of strong state accountability results. The academic performance is respectable given the economic profile of the student body. The setting is an affordable, institutionally rich city with a university footprint and military heritage, though it is a place where daily life centers on driving rather than walking. The single-grade structure means families will need to plan for where their child goes next, and the lack of reported special-population data is something worth raising with the school directly.
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