The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Math. The lowest is 16% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Nora Davis Elementary School
NoraDavis Elementary sits on Martin Luther King Avenue in Laurel, a small city in Jones County, Mississippi, and serves second through fourth graders as part of the Laurel School District. The school is not a charter. Its enrollment is moderate for a three-grade elementary, and every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places it squarely among schools serving an economically disadvantaged population. The student body is predominantly Black, with a Hispanic enrollment that represents the next largest group, and very small numbers of white, Asian, multiracial, and American Indian students.
Laurel itself is a city with deep lumber-town roots. Incorporated in the late nineteenth century, it grew into a manufacturing center during the timber era, and that prosperity shaped its broad avenues, public parks, and a historic district that holds one of Mississippi's finest collections of early twentieth-century architecture. The city sits on a low ridge between Tallahala and Tallahoma Creeks, with Interstate 59 running through and U.S. Route 84 along its southern edge. Publicly reported sources note that Laurel's population peaked decades ago and has fallen by roughly a third since, a pattern tied to manufacturing job losses. More recently, the HG television series "Hometown" has drawn tourism and renovation activity to the historic downtown and older neighborhoods, giving the city a renewed layer of interest even as its long-term population trend remains downward. Major employers still reflect the industrial base: Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite International, and South Central Regional Medical Center, alongside Family Health Center and several smaller manufacturers. The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, the oldest art museum in the state, is a civic anchor. Jones College, a community college, serves the broader county area.
On state assessments, the most recent results show proficiency rates that are low in both subjects and both tested grades. Third-grade math proficiency sits well below what most schools target, and fourth-grade math is stronger but still modest. English language arts results are lower still, with third-grade proficiency particularly limited and fourth-grade only somewhat better. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what supports and interventions the school is putting in place for reading, especially in third grade, and how the Laurel School District is responding to these results across its elementary campuses. The state did not report participation rates, so it is hard to confirm full testing participation from the available data.
Several data gaps are worth naming. The school serves second grade, but Mississippi tests beginning in third grade, so second graders have no state results by design. English learner and special education enrollment figures were not reported, so we cannot describe those populations. No discipline, attendance, staffing, or course-access data was available. There is no graduation rate because the school does not serve high school grades. No multi-year trend was computed, so we cannot say whether proficiency is improving or declining over time. We looked for recent district-level changes that parents might care about and found little of lasting impact in publicly available sources.
Housing in the school's zip code is inexpensive relative to both state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the Mississippi median and far below the national figure. Values have softened recently, showing a modest year-over-year decline. For families considering a move, this means entry-level homeownership is comparatively attainable, though the local market has not been appreciating. Rental data was not available for the area.
What emerges is a school in a historically industrial small city that is finding a new civic narrative through renovation and tourism, serving a high-poverty student population with academic results that leave substantial room to grow. The community has real cultural and institutional anchors, and housing is accessible. The academic picture, though, is the part a parent would want to examine closely and discuss with the school directly.
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