The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Gautier Elementary School
Gautier Elementary School sits in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The school draws from a city that functions primarily as a bedroom community for the Ingalls shipyard in neighboring Pascagoula and the coastal casinos scattered across the surrounding region. Gautier grew from a sawmill settlement into a suburban residential city, and its built environment reflects that trajectory. It is car-dependent, spread across varied terrain of bluffs and low-lying fishing villages, with no traditional walkable downtown. U.S. Route 90 runs through the center and Interstate 10 crosses the northern edge. The city's identity leans heavily on its natural surroundings, with bayous, wetlands, the Pascagoula River, and multiple protected wildlife and recreation areas shaping civic life more than any commercial district would.
The student body reflects the community's demographic mix. Black students form the largest group, followed by White and Hispanic students, with smaller populations identifying as Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. Every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which speaks to the economic profile of the families the school serves. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations was not available, so those dimensions cannot be characterized here.
On state assessments administered through Mississippi's MAAP, the most recent results show a clear pattern. Third graders performed well, with a strong majority reaching proficiency in both math and English language arts. Math results in particular stand out as a strength at that grade level. Fourth grade results were more mixed, with math proficiency dropping to roughly half of tested students and ELA landing between the third-grade math and fourth-grade math figures. The gap between third and fourth grade is wide enough in math that a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what shifts between those years. Participation rates were not reported in the available data, and no multi-year trend information was available, so it is unclear whether these results represent an improvement or a departure from prior years. The data also does not include discipline figures, staffing ratios, or attendance information, so those elements of school climate cannot be assessed.
Because Gautier Elementary serves only pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school course access or college-credit pathway data to discuss. Those metrics do not apply at this grade band. No comparison data positioning this school against its neighbors in the county was provided, so its relative standing cannot be characterized.
Housing in the school's zip code is modestly priced relative to both state and national benchmarks. Home values sit below the Mississippi average and well below the national figure, and rents are similarly affordable. The price-to-income ratio is low compared with national norms, suggesting that families earning typical local wages can find purchase options within reach. The area saw substantial disruption from Hurricane Katrina, with population loss in the aftermath, but growth has resumed since then. Publicly reported sources describe steady expected growth in coming decades, though no specific major housing developments were identified.
One district-level change deserves attention for families considering this area. Jackson Elementary School is scheduled to close in the near future, and that closure will redraw attendance zones across the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. Families moving into Gautier should expect that elementary school assignments may shift, and the school a child is zoned for today may not be the same one they attend a year from now. This is a lasting structural change rather than a temporary adjustment. Anyone buying a home or signing a lease with a specific elementary school in mind should verify current zoning directly with the district.
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