Summary:
The Perry County School District in Mississippi is home to two elementary schools, South Perry Elementary School and Runnelstown Elementary School, both serving students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade.
While both schools serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with high free and reduced lunch rates, Runnelstown Elementary stands out as the higher-performing school. In the 2021-2022 school year, Runnelstown ranked 98th out of 382 Mississippi elementary schools and received a 4-star rating, compared to South Perry Elementary's consistent ranking in the 200s and 2-star rating. Runnelstown also boasts higher proficiency rates in key subject areas, such as 79.2% of 4th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district's 54.8% and the state's 57.1%.
The racial makeup of the two schools also differs significantly, with Runnelstown Elementary having a majority white student population (78.8%) and South Perry Elementary having a higher percentage of African American students (38.29%). This disparity could be an area for further investigation to understand any potential factors contributing to the performance gap between the two schools. Additionally, the difference in per-student spending, with Runnelstown spending $10,612 and South Perry spending $8,880, may also play a role in the schools' varying levels of success.
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