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 is 1 public preschool serving 1,089 students in Petal School District.
Public Preschools in Petal School District have a diversity score of 0.51, which is less than the Mississippi public preschool average of 0.60.
Minority enrollment is 32% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the Mississippi public preschool average of 55% (majority Black).
Overview
This School District
This State (MS)
# Schools
5 Schools
282 Schools
# Students
4,400 Students
125,600 Students
# Teachers
333 Teachers
10,006 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 147 school districts in Mississippi (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 98% has increased from 88% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#5 out of 148 school districts
(Top 5%)
(Top 5%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
74%
52%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
60%
42%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
76%
55%
Graduation Rate
98%
89%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.49
0.60
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
1%
% Hispanic
6%
4%
% Black
18%
45%
% White
69%
45%
% 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 Preschools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: n/an/a
60 Herrington Road
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 554-7244
Petal, MS 39465
(601) 554-7244
Gr: PK-2 | 1,089 student Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 32%
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