Top Rankings
Petal School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Mississippi for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 5%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 5%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 5%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 5%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 3 public elementary schools serving 2,385 students in Petal School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 5% of public elementary schools in Mississippi.
Public Elementary Schools in Petal School District have an average math proficiency score of 70% (versus the Mississippi public elementary school average of 45%), and reading proficiency score of 63% (versus the 43% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 31% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the Mississippi public elementary school average of 57% (majority Black).
Overview
This School District
This State (MS)
# Schools
5 Schools
696 Schools
# Students
4,400 Students
292,146 Students
# Teachers
333 Teachers
22,730 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Petal School District, which is ranked within the top 5% of all 148 school districts in Mississippi (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 99% has increased from 87% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#5 out of 148 school districts
(Top 5%)
(Top 5%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
72%
47%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
60%
42%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
76%
55%
Graduation Rate
≥99%
89%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.49
0.61
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
1%
% Hispanic
6%
5%
% Black
18%
45%
% White
69%
43%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
5%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $10,048 in this school district is less than the state median of $12,205. The school district revenue/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $9,383 is less than the state median of $12,074. The school district spending/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$44 MM
$5,371 MM
Spending
$41 MM
$5,314 MM
Revenue / Student
$10,048
$12,205
Spending / Student
$9,383
$12,074
Best Petal School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Petal Elementary School
(Math: 70% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
1179 Hwy 42 E
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 582-7454
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 582-7454
Grades: 3-4
| 631 students
Rank: #22.
Petal Upper Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
400 Hillcrest Loop
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 584-7660
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 584-7660
Grades: 5-6
| 665 students
Rank: n/an/a
60 Herrington Road
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 554-7244
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 554-7244
Grades: PK-2
| 1,089 students
Recent Articles
Colorado Schools: How Aurora Schools Coped After Theatre Tragedy
There are many support services being put into place for Aurora students this year to help them cope with the movie theatre tragedy as they head back to school.
Chicago Schools: Special Needs and Enriched Academic Programs
We’ll examine some of the programs offered by Chicago Public Schools to provide services to special needs students and help high-achieving students reach their full academic potential.
Benefits of Public School Summer Programs
Learn about the three major advantages of enrolling your child in a summer learning program hosted by your public school.
