The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in Science. The lowest is 54% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mclaurin Attendance Center
McLaurin Attendance Center sits in Florence, a small but rapidly growing suburban community in Rankin County, part of the Jackson metropolitan area. The school serves grades seven through twelve and operates within the Rankin County School District. Florence has been one of the faster-growing small cities in Mississippi, with its population expanding steadily over recent census cycles and city limits pushing outward toward neighboring Richland and the Pearl River. The town is overwhelmingly residential and car-dependent, with a modest traditional downtown grid around College Street but little in the way of pedestrian-oriented commercial life. Many residents likely commute into the broader Jackson metro for work, though no specific major employers were identified in the available research.
The school itself is moderate in size for its grade band, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the six secondary grades plus a small ungraded group. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school firmly in the category of serving a working-class population. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Black minority and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian students each make up a very small fraction. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized.
On state assessments, the most recent results tell a mixed story. Seventh-grade math proficiency is a clear strength, with a strong share of students testing proficient or above. Eighth-grade math, by contrast, drops sharply, with only about a third of tested students reaching proficiency. This is a pronounced gap between adjacent grades and represents the weakest academic signal in the available data. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly whether the eighth-grade dip reflects a curricular transition, a cohort effect, or something else. English language arts results are more stable across the two tested grades, with a moderate share of students proficient in seventh grade and a somewhat higher share in eighth. Eighth-grade science proficiency sits in a reasonably healthy range, with a solid majority of tested students reaching proficiency.
No graduation rate was provided in the data, and because the school does serve twelfth grade, that absence is a genuine gap rather than a function of grade band. The same applies to course access information, staffing details, discipline data, and attendance figures, none of which were available. Program offerings such as AP, career pathways, or dual-credit options were not included in the provided data, so they cannot be described here. A family considering McLaurin would want to ask the school directly about those offerings and about post-secondary outcomes for graduating seniors.
The housing market in the school's zip code is moderately priced, sitting below the national benchmark but above the Mississippi state benchmark. Home values have been rising at a modest year-over-year pace. For families looking to buy, the estimated monthly mortgage cost in this area is meaningfully higher than typical rent, which reflects the broader rate environment. The price-to-income ratio is reasonable by national standards, and the area remains relatively affordable compared to many suburban markets around larger metros. Rental data was not available for this specific zip code, so a complete cost picture for renting families is incomplete.
What emerges from the available data is a school in a fast-growing, family-oriented suburb where seventh-grade math and middle-grade science stand out as relative strengths, but where the eighth-grade math drop is a concern worth investigating. The community's growth trajectory suggests continued residential development and likely increasing enrollment pressure over time. Families drawn to Florence's affordability and small-town feel within commuting distance of Jackson would find a school serving a predominantly working-class population with uneven but sometimes strong academic results. The missing pieces, graduation outcomes, advanced coursework, staffing ratios, and support services, are important enough that a prospective parent should request them directly before drawing a fuller conclusion.
See more original research from School Decision →