Summary:
The city of Okolona, Mississippi is home to 3 public schools serving students from elementary through high school: Okolona Elementary School, Okolona High School, and Okolona Middle School. These schools, operated by the Okolona Separate School District, face significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to their predominantly low-income, African American student populations.
Okolona Elementary School stands out as the lowest-performing, ranking in the bottom 20% of Mississippi elementary schools and posting proficiency rates 20-30 percentage points below the state average across core subjects. Okolona High School fares slightly better, ranking in the middle 50% of high schools, but still struggles with below-average test scores. Okolona Middle School also performs poorly, landing in the bottom 25% of Mississippi middle schools. All three schools have a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating high-poverty student populations that likely contribute to the academic challenges.
Despite the low performance, the schools have relatively low student-teacher ratios, ranging from 8.7 to 12 students per teacher. However, there appears to be an imbalance in per-student spending, with Okolona High School receiving nearly $6,300 more per student than the elementary school. Addressing these systemic issues and implementing targeted academic interventions will be crucial for the Okolona Separate School District to improve student outcomes and create more equitable educational opportunities for the children of Okolona.
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