The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Science. The lowest is 61% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Oak Grove Elementary
Oak Grove Elementary sits on Leaf Lane in the western Hattiesburg area of Lamar County, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Lamar County School District. It is a moderately sized elementary school with a student body that reflects the diversity of the broader Hattiesburg community. Black and White students each make up close to similar shares of enrollment, with smaller groups of multiracial, Hispanic, and Asian students rounding out the population. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Hattiesburg itself is the principal city of the Pine Belt region, a university town anchored by the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University. The city grew around the lumber and railroad industries, earning the nickname "the Hub City" for its position at the crossing of major rail lines and highways. Today it stretches across Forrest and Lamar counties, with the western Lamar County side where Oak Grove sits having gained commercial land through annexation. Camp Shelby, the largest National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River, sits just south of the city and contributes to a strong military and institutional presence. Major employers include the two universities, two hospital systems, Kohler Engines, and BAE Systems, giving the area a public-sector and institutional employment base. The built environment is largely auto-oriented, with walkable pockets concentrated downtown and in the historic neighborhood district, a collection of Victorian-era homes recognized by the American Planning Association. Public transit appears limited.
On state assessments, Oak Grove Elementary shows consistent results across the tested grades. In English language arts, proficiency rates hold steady from third through fifth grade, landing in a solid range each year. Math results follow a similar pattern in the lower grades, with fifth-grade math standing out as a particular strength, reaching a higher proficiency level than the other grade-subject combinations. Fifth-grade science also comes in strong. These results suggest the school is moving a majority of its tested students to proficiency across subjects, with the upper elementary grades performing especially well.
Several pieces of information a parent might want are absent from the available data. The school's individualized education program rate and English learner rate were not reported. Participation rates for the state assessments were not available. No multi-year trend data was provided, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time. Discipline, staffing, attendance, and course-access data were not reported either. A parent looking for a fuller picture of student support and school climate may want to ask the school directly about these areas.
The housing market in the school's zip code sits above the Mississippi state benchmark but below the national one, with modest year-over-year appreciation in both home values and rents. Estimated monthly mortgage costs and rents suggest the area remains relatively affordable compared to national figures, with rent taking up a moderate share of typical household income. Home values have been appreciating at a slightly faster pace than the state and national benchmarks.
As an elementary school, Oak Grove has no graduation rate, no AP or career-pathway offerings, and no dual-credit courses, all of which are features of secondary education rather than the prekindergarten-through-fifth band this school serves. What it does offer is a solid academic foundation in the tested grades, a diverse student body, and a location in a regional hub with university, military, and healthcare anchors. The Lamar County School District brief did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes, so there is little to report on that front.
Families considering Oak Grove are looking at a school with steady, respectable state test results, a student population that mirrors the racial and economic mix of the Hattiesburg area, and a community that blends university-town energy with military and institutional stability. The gaps in the available data, particularly around special populations and school climate, are worth filling in through direct conversation with the school before making a decision.
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