Claiborne County School District

The Claiborne County School District in Mississippi operates three schools: A.W. Watson Elementary, Port Gibson High School, and Port Gibson Middle School. The district serves a predominantly African American student population, with over 98% of students identifying as such across the three schools. However, the academic performance of these schools is concerning, as they all rank in the bottom half of their respective categories in the state and struggle to meet state proficiency standards.

Across the district, test scores are significantly lower than the state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 23.5% to 76.9% on high school end-of-course exams, well below the state benchmarks. The elementary school, A.W. Watson, has particularly low proficiency rates, with only 27.1% of 5th graders meeting the English Language Arts standard, compared to the state average of 51.7%. This pattern of underperformance is consistent across grade levels and subject areas, indicating deep-rooted challenges within the educational system.

While the district spends more per student at the secondary level ($16,516 and $16,585 per student at the high school and middle school, respectively) compared to the elementary school ($9,131 per student), this resource allocation does not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes. Additionally, the student-teacher ratios are relatively low, ranging from 12.3 to 14.4 students per teacher, suggesting that factors beyond just staffing and funding may be contributing to the district's struggles. Overall, the data paints a concerning picture of the Claiborne County School District, and addressing these systemic challenges will require a comprehensive, district-wide approach to improve educational outcomes for the students.