The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Science. The lowest is 55% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Pearl River Central Elementar
Pearl River Central Elementary sits in Carriere, an unincorporated stretch of Pearl River County where residential life clusters along US Highway 11. The community was once a railroad and lumber town with multiple sawmills and general stores. Today it reads as a rural, highway-oriented place with dispersed development and no traditional downtown grid. Publicly reported sources describe a community without sidewalks or dedicated pedestrian infrastructure, where civic life centers on the post office and the volunteer fire department. No public library branch or transit system was identified locally; the nearest such services are likely in Picayune, the county seat. The ZIP code area has seen a modest population decline in recent years, and no major housing developments or growth initiatives surfaced in available sources. Home values in the area run above the Mississippi benchmark but below national levels, with the price-to-income ratio sitting in a range that reads as relatively affordable compared with many parts of the country. Mortgage rates are in the mid-six-percent range. We looked for parent-relevant changes in the broader Pearl River County School District and found nothing specific in the available material, so we left it out rather than guess.
The school is large for an elementary setting, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade with a student body well over a thousand. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly white, with small percentages of Black and Hispanic students and a modest group identified as two or more races. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those dimensions cannot be characterized here. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that gap reflects the grade band rather than any missing outcome.
State assessment results come from the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program for the current school year, covering grades three through five in math and English language arts, plus fifth-grade science. The clearest strength is fifth-grade science, where a strong majority of tested students reached proficiency. Fourth-grade math stands out as well, with a solid majority proficient. Fourth-grade English language arts also shows a majority of students proficient.
The pattern is less consistent in other grades. Third-grade English language arts sits just below half of students proficient, and fifth-grade math dips to roughly that level as well. The drop in math from fourth grade to fifth grade is the most striking shift in the data. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly how the curriculum and instruction transition as students move through the upper elementary grades. Third-grade math and fifth-grade English language arts land in a middle range, with a majority or near-majority proficient.
Trend data comparing year-over-year changes was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. Participation rates were also missing from the data. No civil-rights data on discipline, course access, or staffing was provided, and no program offerings were listed, which limits what can be said about enrichment, intervention, or specialized academic pathways.
What the picture does show is a large elementary school in a quiet, rural, unincorporated community where housing costs are moderate relative to income. Academic results are mixed across grades and subjects, with real strengths in upper-grade science and fourth-grade math, alongside softer spots in third-grade reading and fifth-grade math that a family might want to ask about directly. The setting will suit families looking for a rural, lower-density lifestyle within commuting distance of larger towns, with the understanding that walkability, transit, and nearby civic amenities are limited.
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