West Hancock Elementary School

Q: Is West Hancock Elementary School a good school?

West Hancock Elementary School ranks 66 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

West Hancock Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Picayune, Mississippi, with a student population of 341 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school is part of the Hancock County School District, which is ranked 7th out of 130 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Hancock Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in MAAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program) test scores, with proficiency rates ranging from 57.9% to 80.7% in 2023-2024, compared to the state averages of 51.7% to 57.7%. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (90.62%) compared to the state average and nearby schools, such as East Hancock Elementary and Hancock North Central Elementary. However, West Hancock Elementary faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with over 99% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite these challenges, West Hancock Elementary has steadily improved its statewide ranking over the past several years, moving from 288th out of 402 schools in 2014-2015 to 66th out of 390 schools in 2023-2024. While the school performs well compared to the Picayune School District and the state, it lags behind the top-performing school in the Hancock County School District, East Hancock Elementary, which consistently ranks among the top 25 schools in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

23350 Highway 43
Picayune, MS 39466

(228) 586-6054

District: Hancock County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
66^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,477

Students who attend West Hancock Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hancock Middle School
High:	Hancock High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 341

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.6%

Two or more races:

4.4%

African American:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Hancock Elementary School ranks better than 83.1% of elementary schools in Mississippi. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Hancock County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.21. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details West Hancock Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Hancock County School District. Racial makeup is: White (90.6%), two or more races (4.4%), African American (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Hancock County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Hancock Elementary School is 11.4, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Hancock County School District! (See more...)

Compare West Hancock Elementary School employs 29.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Hancock Elementary School is $13,477, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Hancock County School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Hancock Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Hancock County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Hancock County School District 7^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for West Hancock Elementary School.

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Rank History for West Hancock Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2010	72.29	100^th	403	75.2%
2011	47.14	236^th	418	43.5%
2012	51.67	202^nd	414	51.2%
2013	53.78	191^st	408	53.2%
2014	36.36	267^th	394	32.2%
2015	29.42	288^th	402	28.4%
2016	52.71	186^th	394	52.8%
2017	55.69	170^th	406	58.1%
2018	58.28	163^rd	404	59.7%
2019	67.34	121^st	397	69.5%
2021	66.27	124^th	381	67.5%
2022	68.81	114^th	382	70.2%
2023	76.31	73^rd	377	80.6%
2024	79.21	66^th	390	83.1%

See the entire list of Mississippi Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, July 16, 2014

I love how this school makes me feel like my children are safe. I had 3 children in school last year and one of their teachers I didn't like so much. My daughter was having a tough enough time with school and her teacher did not give her the much needed help. I understand she has other students to attend to but all she had to do was go to my daughters side do the first one individually with her then let her do the rest on her own. My daughter would hide out in the restroom to avoid her teacher (SHE IS IN FIRST GRADE!) Also, the school does not have a tutor or extra help for children like my daughter. Close Quote

Enrollment information for West Hancock Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	376	27	2	6	0	1	0	412
2010	385	20	2	8	1	1	9	426
2011	352	24	4	11	1	1	7	400
2012	348	18	1	9	2	0	8	386
2013	346	23	0	12	1	0	11	393
2014	360	21	0	5	0	0	13	399
2015	319	22	0	7	0	0	8	356
2016	314	23	1	4	0	0	4	346
2017	307	22	0	8	0	0	14	351
2018	317	21	0	10	0	0	13	361
2019	293	19	0	8	0	0	17	337
2020	288	21	0	8	0	0	11	328
2021	268	19	1	7	0	0	13	308
2022	302	14	0	7	0	0	12	335
2023	309	10	0	5	2	0	15	341

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Hancock Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	412	24.5	16.8	67.5
2010	426	27.0	15.7	72.5
2011	400	25.1	15.8	73.8
2012	386	24.0	16.0	72.5
2013	393	23.6	16.6	78.6
2014	399	25.2	15.7	73.9
2015	356	24.0	14.8	63.5
2016	346	21.0	16.4	80.9
2017	351	20.3	17.2	77.2
2018	361	22.8	15.8	75.9
2019	337	21.8	15.4	76
2020	328	22.1	14.7	76.8
2021	308	23.6	13.0	99
2022	335	24.5	13.6	99.1
2023	341	29.7	11.4	99.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West Hancock Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	412	24.5	16.8	67.5
2010	426	27.0	15.7	72.5
2011	400	25.1	15.8	73.8
2012	386	24.0	16.0	72.5
2013	393	23.6	16.6	78.6
2014	399	25.2	15.7	73.9
2015	356	24.0	14.8	63.5
2016	346	21.0	16.4	80.9
2017	351	20.3	17.2	77.2
2018	361	22.8	15.8	75.9
2019	337	21.8	15.4	76
2020	328	22.1	14.7	76.8
2021	308	23.6	13.0	99
2022	335	24.5	13.6	99.1
2023	341	29.7	11.4	99.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Hancock Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$8,159
2018	$8,432
2019	$9,378
2020	$10,756
2021	$11,885
2022	$13,477

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Hancock Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 121^st of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 73^rd of 377 Elementary schools	11.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Hancock Elementary School)	50.8	63.7	12.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hancock County School District)	57.7	65.9	8.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Hancock Elementary School)	54.4	72.7	18.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hancock County School District)	60.7	68.9	8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Hancock Elementary School)	60	64.9	4.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hancock County School District)	63.4	66.2	2.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Hancock Elementary School)	41.8	68.5	26.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hancock County School District)	60	76.2	16.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	48.8	56.7	7.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Hancock Elementary School)	50	62.9	12.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hancock County School District)	59	58.3	0.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	43	51.9	8.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Hancock Elementary School)	48.3	38.7	9.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hancock County School District)	54.8	52.1	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	38.9	44.3	5.4%
5th Grade Science (West Hancock Elementary School)	67.2	79	11.8%
5th Grade Science (Hancock County School District)	74.6	77.3	2.7%
5th Grade Science (Mississippi)	55.9	64.3	8.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	337	341	1.2%
African American	19	10	47.4%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	8	5	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	293	309	5.5%
Two or More Races	17	15	11.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	76%	99.1%	23.2%

Schools Near West Hancock Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)				MAAP Mathematics (2024)				MAAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	Total
West Hancock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	23350 Highway 43	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Hancock County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 586-6054	341	30	11.4	99.1%	309 (90.6%)	10 (2.9%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.4%)	79.2	66^th of 390 public elementary schools	83.1%		76.3	73^rd of 377 public elementary schools	80.6%	7	68.8	70.3	57.9		68.8	64.8	73.7		80.7	$13,477
Hancock North Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6122 Cuevas Town Road	Kiln	39556	Hancock County	Hancock County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 255-7641	400	31	12.8	99.3%	382 (95.5%)	3 (0.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	85.3	44^th of 390 public elementary schools	88.7%		87.1	31^st of 377 public elementary schools	91.8%	13	67.2	73.9	61.1		72.4	81.1	76.4		86.1	$12,409
Roseland Park Elementary School	Public	K-6	1610 Gilcrease Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6824	366	24	15.3	100.0%	218 (59.6%)	104 (28.4%)	3 (0.8%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.0%)	36.4	257^th of 390 public elementary schools	34.1%		29.8	282^nd of 377 public elementary schools	25.2%	25	57.2	54.9	39.1	24.5	54.8	31.4	23.9	47.8	62.2	$10,680
East Hancock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4221 Kiln Delisle Rd.	Kiln	39556	Hancock County	Hancock County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 255-6637	639	45	14.1	99.5%	552 (86.4%)	28 (4.4%)	9 (1.4%)	12 (1.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.3%)	94.1	11^th of 390 public elementary schools	97.2%		88.9	25^th of 377 public elementary schools	93.4%	14	87.0	74.3	77.7		88.8	84.9	87.2		90.5	$10,638
West Side Elementary School	Public	K-6	111 Kirkwood Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-3625	427	28	15.3	100.0%	267 (62.5%)	118 (27.6%)	4 (0.9%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.3%)	46.8	213^th of 390 public elementary schools	45.4%		34.6	259^th of 377 public elementary schools	31.3%	46	62.7	54.3	64.7	30.8	25.4	34.2	43.2	61.5	64.7	$9,135
South Side Elementary School	Public	3-6	1500 Rosa Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-1105	298	20	14.8	100.0%	180 (60.4%)	100 (33.6%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)	72.1	101^st of 390 public elementary schools	74.1%		62.9	135^th of 377 public elementary schools	64.2%	34	61.8	65.8	52.2	57.9	54.3	68.4	55.0	66.2	82.8	$10,089
South Side Lower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	400 South Beech Street	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 799-0683	335	21	16.1	100.0%	195 (58.2%)	115 (34.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.9%)								(n/a)										$9,400
Nicholson Elementary School	Public	K-6	1887 Hwy 11 South	Picayune	39466	Pearl River County	Picayune School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 798-6309	363	29	12.6	100.0%	177 (48.8%)	99 (27.3%)	17 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (19.0%)	40.2	246^th of 390 public elementary schools	36.9%		28.1	287^th of 377 public elementary schools	23.9%	41	50.9	42.6	39.4	35.6	62.8	27.8	48.5	40.0	69.7	$10,851
Pearl River Central Elementar	Public	PK, KG-5	116 Alphabet Ave	Carriere	39426	Pearl River County	Pearl River County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 799-4519	1,501	101	14.8	99.8%	1,286 (85.7%)	46 (3.1%)	30 (2.0%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	129 (8.6%)	68.1	116^th of 390 public elementary schools	70.3%		63.8	129^th of 377 public elementary schools	65.8%	13	58.9	62.9	53.2		59.2	62.9	55.4		84.4	$8,723
Lizana Elementary School	Public	K-6	15341 Lizana School Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-1592	382	25	15.1	99.2%	349 (91.4%)	6 (1.6%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.2%)	94.1	10^th of 390 public elementary schools	97.4%		94.1	9^th of 377 public elementary schools	97.6%	1	82.4	76.6	80.0	51.0	94.7	83.0	95.6	96.3	97.8	$11,676

Frequently Asked Questions about West Hancock Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of West Hancock Elementary School?

Students at West Hancock Elementary School are 91% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend West Hancock Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 341 students attended West Hancock Elementary School.

What district is West Hancock Elementary School in?

Hancock County School District

Is West Hancock Elementary School a good school?

West Hancock Elementary School ranks 66^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of West Hancock Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Hancock Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hancock Middle School
High : Hancock High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.