The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Math. The lowest is 71% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Pecan Park Elementary School
Pecan Park Elementary School sits in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and serves the youngest learners in the Ocean Springs School District, covering kindergarten through third grade. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates on a campus separate from the historic downtown core where much of the city's civic and commercial life concentrates.
Ocean Springs itself carries a distinct identity along the Gulf Coast. Publicly described as a vibrant, eclectic arts community, it sits on the eastern shore of Biloxi Bay, a short distance from Biloxi, connected by the Biloxi Bay Bridge. The downtown is a designated Mississippi Main Street district, with live oak-lined streets, galleries, shops, restaurants, and the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. The city hosts the Peter Anderson Festival, one of the largest fine arts festivals in the state, which draws tens of thousands of attendees and fills the downtown streets. Outside that downtown core, the built environment turns more suburban and auto-oriented, typical of Gulf Coast communities. Ocean Springs has been in a steady post-Katrina rebuilding and redevelopment pattern, with growing commercial districts and a relatively stable population. Schools in the district, including Pecan Park, sit on separated campuses rather than within the walkable downtown.
Academically, the only state assessment data available for Pecan Park comes from third grade, and that is expected. Mississippi tests students beginning in third grade, and Pecan Park does not serve grades beyond that point, so the absence of results for kindergarten, first, and second grade reflects the grade band, not a gap in reporting. For the most recent school year, third graders at Pecan Park posted strong proficiency rates on the MAAP, the state's regular assessment, in both math and English language arts. A clear majority of tested third graders reached proficient or above in each subject, with math results slightly ahead of English language arts. These are solid results for an early elementary school, and they suggest the school is preparing its oldest students well for the transition to upper elementary grades. Because the school serves only through third grade, there is no graduation rate to report.
The school's enrollment is moderate for its grade band, with a fairly even distribution across the four grades it serves. The student body is majority white, with a meaningful share of students identifying as two or more races, and smaller Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places the school in a middle range economically, neither overwhelmingly affluent nor predominantly low-income. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available in the data provided, so a parent looking for details on special education services or language support would want to contact the school directly.
Several categories of information that parents often consider were absent from the available data. There was no classification of the school's locale type, no discipline data, no course or program access information, no staffing figures, and no attendance data. Title I status was not reported. Civil rights data was empty. The district brief did not surface any specific parent-relevant changes in the Ocean Springs School District from recent years. These gaps do not indicate anything about the school's quality; they reflect what was available to report.
Housing in the school's zip code sits above the state benchmark but below the national one, making it relatively affordable compared to much of the country while being among the pricier areas in Mississippi. Rents have risen modestly year over year. The price-to-income ratio suggests a market that is manageable for many families but not inexpensive by state standards. For families considering a move to the area, the housing costs pair with a community that offers a walkable downtown, waterfront parks, and a cultural identity centered on the arts, balanced against a more suburban feel once you move away from the city center.
For a family with young children, Pecan Park represents a focused early elementary environment feeding into the Ocean Springs School District. The third-grade proficiency numbers are a genuine strength. What remains less visible from the available data is the fuller picture of student services, school climate, and program offerings that rounds out a school's day-to-day experience. A visit or call to the school would help fill in those dimensions.
See more original research from School Decision →