WC Mississippi News

Among the ethnicities represented in Sunflower County schools, Black was the most prevalent among the county students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Sunflower County, representing 84.8% of the student body.

Lockard Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Sunflower County including Black and multiracial.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 11.1% when compared to the previous year.

Mississippi's schools, with an enrollment of 436,523 in the 2023-24 academic year, are mostly divided between two ethnicities, with Black or African American students being the largest racial group at 46.86%, followed by white students at 42.14%.

Students in the state showed a significant improvement in the 2022-23 academic year, demonstrating sustained progress in their post-pandemic recovery. Overall, 87% of schools and 91% of districts achieved a grade of C or better, compared to 81% of schools and 87% of districts in the prior year.

Results from the 2022-23 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) showed students reaching an all-time high in all core subjects. Students better performed on the Math and English portion of the test, achieving grades around 5% better than in the previous year.

Due to missing or insufficient enrollment data, some schools were not included in the analysis.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
Drew Hunter Middle School	Black	92.4%	79
Lockard Elementary School	Black	91.6%	382
Ruleville Middle School	Black	95.8%	143
Rosser Early Learning Center	Black	97.8%	91
Ruleville Central Elementary School	Black	96.3%	270
Robert L. Merritt Junior High School	Black	96%	376
A.W. James Elementary School	Black	94.1%	203
Carver Elementary School	Black	96.1%	257
Gentry High School	Black	98.2%	505