The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on College Park Elem
College Park Elementary sits on Ladnier Road in Gautier, a city that straddles the line between a residential bedroom community and a nature-oriented coastal town. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and operates within the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet campus.
The academic picture comes from the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, which cover third and fourth grade. These are the only tested grades at College Park because the state does not assess younger students. In English language arts, fourth graders posted a stronger proficiency rate than third graders, with roughly half of tested fourth graders reaching proficiency. Third grade ELA results were more modest. Math followed a similar pattern: fourth grade outperformed third grade, though both math rates sat below their ELA counterparts. The weakest showing was in third grade math. Participation rates were not reported, which limits what a parent can conclude about completeness, though the tested counts themselves are recorded. Trend data across multiple years was not available, so there is no way to read whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. A parent weighing this school may want to ask the administration about year-over-year direction and what interventions are in place for early-grade math.
The student body is modest in size for an elementary campus. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that reflects the economic context of the surrounding community rather than any selective admission policy. The racial and ethnic mix is diverse, with white, Black, and Hispanic students each representing substantial shares of enrollment. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
Gautier itself is a place shaped by water and commuting. Publicly reported sources describe a city of about 33 square miles tucked between bayous, wetlands, and the Pascagoula River, which locals call the Singing River. The Ingalls shipyard in neighboring Pascagoula has driven growth since World War II, and coastal casinos are cited as a major nearby industry. Gautier has no traditional walkable downtown. U.S. Route 90 runs through the center and Interstate 10 crosses the northern edge, making car travel the dominant mode. Civic life leans heavily on natural anchors: the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, Shepard State Park, and the Eric Clark Coastal Preserve. The Jackson County Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College also sits in Gautier, providing an educational anchor beyond the K-12 system.
The housing market is relatively affordable. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the Mississippi state benchmark and well below national levels. Rents are modest, and the gap between monthly mortgage costs and rent is wide enough that renting remains meaningfully cheaper than buying at current rates. For families moving into the area, this translates into accessible housing costs compared with most of the country, though mortgage rates remain elevated.
One district-level change deserves attention for families considering College Park. Jackson Elementary School is scheduled to close after the 2025-26 school year, a move that will redraw attendance zones across the district. This is publicly reported and could shift where Gautier families send their elementary-aged children. Anyone moving into the area should check with the district about the finalized rezoning, since current school assignments may change.
Information on staffing, course access, discipline, attendance, Title I status, and school programs was not available in the data provided. Without those pieces, the portrait here is incomplete. What is clear is that College Park serves a diverse, economically disadvantaged elementary population in an affordable, nature-rich bedroom community, with tested academic results that are mixed across grades and subjects and stronger in upper-elementary ELA than in early-grade math.
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