Bel Aire Elementary School

Q: Is Bel Aire Elementary School a good school?

Bel Aire Elementary School ranks 259 th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bel Aire Elementary School is a public elementary school in Gulfport, Mississippi, serving 596 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Harrison County School District, which is ranked 16th out of 130 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Despite being part of a relatively high-performing district, Bel Aire Elementary faces significant challenges. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (57.89%) compared to nearby schools, which tend to have more diverse or predominantly white student populations. Bel Aire's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels, with its 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate at 52.3% compared to the district's 72.2% and the state's 57.7%. Additionally, over 99% of Bel Aire's students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Bel Aire's performance lags significantly behind other schools in the Harrison County School District, such as Lyman Elementary and Three Rivers Elementary, which have much higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings. The stark racial imbalance between Bel Aire and its surrounding schools suggests potential issues with equity and access to resources within the district. The combination of a high-poverty student population, lower test scores, and lower statewide rankings suggests that Bel Aire may be struggling with factors such as teacher quality, resource allocation, and effective instructional strategies to support its students.

Detail:

Public K-6

10531 Klein Road
Gulfport, MS 39503

(228) 832-7436

District: Harrison County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
259^th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,978

Students who attend Bel Aire Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Harrison Central High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 596

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.9%

White:

19.8%

Hispanic:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.5%

See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

Compare Bel Aire Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bel Aire Elementary School ranks worse than 66.4% of elementary schools in Mississippi. It also ranks 12^th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Harrison County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.96. (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 Student population at Bel Aire Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (57.9%), White (19.8%), Hispanic (12.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bel Aire Elementary School is 14.8. 7 elementary schools in the Harrison County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Bel Aire Elementary School employs 40.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bel Aire Elementary School is $10,978. 10 elementary schools in the Harrison County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bel Aire Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Harrison County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Harrison County School District 16^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Bel Aire Elementary School.

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Rank History for Bel Aire Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MS State Percentile
2008	58.66	164^th	394	58.4%
2009	75.39	85^th	392	78.3%
2010	84.89	42^nd	403	89.6%
2011	85.57	41^st	418	90.2%
2012	70.08	119^th	414	71.3%
2013	48.62	221^st	408	45.8%
2014	35.73	274^th	394	30.5%
2015	67.40	114^th	402	71.6%
2016	49.18	198^th	394	49.7%
2017	53.21	178^th	406	56.2%
2018	52.42	196^th	404	51.5%
2019	33.55	270^th	397	32.0%
2021	51.80	188^th	381	50.7%
2022	53.16	174^th	382	54.5%
2023	46.99	196^th	377	48.0%
2024	35.96	259^th	390	33.6%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 28, 2014

This school is brilliant! My child has been at this school since 1st grade, and this is by far the friendliest neighborhood school I've sent my child too. The principal knows each parent directly and personally, even if the child is never in trouble. My child, being in advanced categories, is challenged daily. The school offers fun events regularly, such as Pickle Friday and Spring Fest, and the Kona-Ice truck comes every last Friday of the month. They also have a yearly talent show. I love this school, and I'd recommend it to any other parent looking for a family-friendly school and fun times. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bel Aire Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1990	530	454	19	7	0	n/a	n/a	1010
1991	524	457	10	5	0	n/a	n/a	996
1992	545	435	16	9	3	n/a	n/a	1008
1993	559	469	16	6	2	n/a	n/a	1052
1994	524	417	16	7	2	n/a	n/a	966
1995	521	334	15	10	4	n/a	n/a	884
1996	521	334	15	10	4	n/a	n/a	884
1997	486	388	14	11	4	n/a	n/a	903
1998	466	414	18	11	3	n/a	n/a	912
1999	445	454	19	11	3	n/a	n/a	932
2000	463	455	16	17	3	n/a	n/a	954
2001	436	493	15	13	3	n/a	n/a	960
2002	346	396	19	17	1	n/a	n/a	779
2003	346	396	19	17	1	n/a	n/a	779
2004	326	366	23	20	3	n/a	n/a	738
2005	304	388	23	16	5	n/a	n/a	736
2006	208	285	15	10	1	n/a	n/a	519
2007	288	390	22	18	1	n/a	n/a	719
2008	277	370	16	24	1	n/a	n/a	688
2009	284	352	12	41	2	0	0	691
2010	261	373	15	40	1	0	0	690
2011	256	376	12	33	0	3	0	680
2012	275	418	9	30	0	1	2	735
2013	303	480	14	40	0	0	2	839
2014	295	487	10	36	0	5	3	836
2015	224	368	14	33	1	1	12	653
2016	207	390	18	45	1	0	19	680
2017	206	410	11	51	5	1	28	712
2018	180	416	12	50	3	2	39	702
2019	155	436	9	62	4	3	42	711
2020	141	446	8	72	6	5	40	718
2021	127	330	10	72	4	0	43	586
2022	117	321	9	81	4	5	53	590
2023	118	345	4	72	2	2	53	596

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 Bel Aire Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	1010	55.9	18.0	n/a
1991	996	52.1	19.1	n/a
1992	1008	55.7	18.0	40.7
1993	1052	55.7	18.9	42.3
1994	966	55.5	17.4	40.4
1995	884	49.9	17.7	38.9
1996	884	49.9	17.7	38.9
1997	903	50.4	17.9	39.3
1998	912	50.6	18.0	40.9
1999	932	50.4	18.5	54.5
2000	954	53.5	17.8	55.3
2001	960	52.5	18.3	55.5
2002	779	41.2	18.9	53.1
2003	779	41.2	18.9	53.1
2004	738	43.2	17.1	80.5
2005	736	41.7	17.6	78
2006	519	40.5	12.8	99.4
2007	719	37.0	19.4	84.3
2008	688	38.1	18.1	80.2
2009	691	37.5	18.4	78.4
2010	690	37.4	18.4	81.4
2011	680	38.2	17.7	84.4
2012	735	37.2	19.7	85.6
2013	839	41.9	20.0	87.1
2014	836	43.1	19.3	89.2
2015	653	39.0	16.7	88.5
2016	680	40.0	17.0	90
2017	712	41.0	17.3	90.3
2018	702	44.0	15.9	91.6
2019	711	41.1	17.2	92.5
2020	718	43.4	16.5	94.2
2021	586	39.9	14.6	99.5
2022	590	34.4	17.1	99.5
2023	596	40.2	14.8	99.5

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 Bel Aire Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	1010	55.9	18.0	n/a
1991	996	52.1	19.1	n/a
1992	1008	55.7	18.0	40.7
1993	1052	55.7	18.9	42.3
1994	966	55.5	17.4	40.4
1995	884	49.9	17.7	38.9
1996	884	49.9	17.7	38.9
1997	903	50.4	17.9	39.3
1998	912	50.6	18.0	40.9
1999	932	50.4	18.5	54.5
2000	954	53.5	17.8	55.3
2001	960	52.5	18.3	55.5
2002	779	41.2	18.9	53.1
2003	779	41.2	18.9	53.1
2004	738	43.2	17.1	80.5
2005	736	41.7	17.6	78
2006	519	40.5	12.8	99.4
2007	719	37.0	19.4	84.3
2008	688	38.1	18.1	80.2
2009	691	37.5	18.4	78.4
2010	690	37.4	18.4	81.4
2011	680	38.2	17.7	84.4
2012	735	37.2	19.7	85.6
2013	839	41.9	20.0	87.1
2014	836	43.1	19.3	89.2
2015	653	39.0	16.7	88.5
2016	680	40.0	17.0	90
2017	712	41.0	17.3	90.3
2018	702	44.0	15.9	91.6
2019	711	41.1	17.2	92.5
2020	718	43.4	16.5	94.2
2021	586	39.9	14.6	99.5
2022	590	34.4	17.1	99.5
2023	596	40.2	14.8	99.5

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 Bel Aire Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$7,874
2018	$7,962
2019	$8,731
2020	$11,372
2021	$10,234
2022	$10,978

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bel Aire 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 270^th of 397 Elementary schools	Ranks 196^th of 377 Elementary schools	16%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bel Aire Elementary School)	40.9	50.7	9.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Harrison County School District)	57.2	69.9	12.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.3	51.6	3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bel Aire Elementary School)	35.3	50.6	15.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Harrison County School District)	60.7	70	9.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.4	54.8	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bel Aire Elementary School)	29.4	43.9	14.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Harrison County School District)	55.7	63	7.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	48.5	53.4	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bel Aire Elementary School)	16.9	40.2	23.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Harrison County School District)	55.6	66.4	10.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	48.8	56.7	7.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bel Aire Elementary School)	31	50.6	19.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Harrison County School District)	50.7	57.3	6.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	43	51.9	8.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bel Aire Elementary School)	20.7	22.1	1.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Harrison County School District)	45.6	50.5	4.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	38.9	44.3	5.4%
5th Grade Science (Bel Aire Elementary School)	38.2	60.2	22%
5th Grade Science (Harrison County School District)	62.9	72.7	9.8%
5th Grade Science (Mississippi)	55.9	64.3	8.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Bel Aire Elementary School)	35.6	44.8	9.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Harrison County School District)	46.3	58	11.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	33.6	40.3	6.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bel Aire Elementary School)	57.4	51.7	5.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Harrison County School District)	66.3	67.1	0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	47.6	45.5	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	711	596	16.2%
African American	436	345	20.9%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	9	4	55.6%
Hispanic	62	72	16.1%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	155	118	23.9%
Two or More Races	42	53	26.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.5%	99.5%	7%

Schools Near Bel Aire 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 English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
Bel Aire Elementary School	Public	K-6	10531 Klein Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-7436	596	40	14.8	99.5%	118 (19.8%)	345 (57.9%)	72 (12.1%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (8.9%)	36	259^th of 390 public elementary schools	33.6%		47	196^th of 377 public elementary schools	48.0%	63	52.3	50.7	33.7	35.8			39.8	36.9	33.0	42.9			68.1		$10,978
Crossroads Elementary School	Public	K-6	10453 Klein Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-6711	501	37	13.4	99.4%	59 (11.8%)	349 (69.7%)	50 (10.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	32 (6.4%)	38.4	251^st of 390 public elementary schools	35.6%		51.3	175^th of 377 public elementary schools	53.6%	76	59.4	53.6	45.8	29.3			36.0	50.7	23.7	32.7			66.7		$12,345
Harrison Central Elementary	Public	K-3	15451 Dedeaux Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-2701	472	30	15.9	99.4%	196 (41.5%)	189 (40.0%)	17 (3.6%)	17 (3.6%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	47 (10.0%)								(n/a)	73.9						71.3								$11,862
North Gulfport Elementary And Middl	Public	K-8	4715 Illinois Avenue	Gulfport	39501	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 864-8944	1,060	74	14.2	99.7%	156 (14.7%)	763 (72.0%)	64 (6.0%)	12 (1.1%)	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (5.4%)	29.5	278^th of 390 public elementary schools	28.7%		34	263^rd of 377 public elementary schools	30.2%	15	63.2	38.4	43.2	20.0	46.7	35.0	38.5	30.7	43.2	38.2	58.4	23.5	51.3	58.3	$10,985
Bayou View Elementary School	Public	K-5	4898 Washington Avenue	Gulfport	39507	Harrison County	Gulfport School District	No	No	No	No	(228) 865-4625	682	45	15.0	100.0%	509 (74.6%)	104 (15.2%)	31 (4.5%)	21 (3.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.1%)	97.2	2^nd of 390 public elementary schools	99.5%		97.6	1^st of 377 public elementary schools	99.7%	1	98.0	92.4	85.4				93.0	92.4	83.1				94.6		$9,617
Three Rivers Elementary	Public	K-6	13500 Three Rivers Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 831-5359	498	37	13.4	99.4%	191 (38.4%)	213 (42.8%)	27 (5.4%)	10 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (11.2%)	72.1	102^nd of 390 public elementary schools	73.8%		63.8	130^th of 377 public elementary schools	65.5%	28	63.9	66.7	65.8	46.6			56.3	53.3	50.0	68.3			89.0		$11,991
Lyman Elementary School	Public	K-6	14222 Old Highway 49	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 832-2257	490	35	14.0	99.4%	303 (61.8%)	107 (21.8%)	17 (3.5%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	56 (11.4%)	86.8	35^th of 390 public elementary schools	91.0%		89.3	23^rd of 377 public elementary schools	93.9%	12	91.0	69.7	74.6	52.4			92.4	59.2	71.4	68.8			90.4		$11,162
Twenty Eighth St Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3034 46th Avenue	Gulfport	39501	Harrison County	Gulfport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 867-2140	356	30	11.8	100.0%	24 (6.7%)	303 (85.1%)	12 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.8%)	41.6	237^th of 390 public elementary schools	39.2%		41.9	221^st of 377 public elementary schools	41.4%	16	50.0	53.2	42.0				53.2	53.2	40.0				56.0		$11,680
River Oaks Elementary School	Public	K-6	14111 Three Rivers Road	Gulfport	39503	Harrison County	Harrison County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 831-1660	502	33	15.2	99.4%	128 (25.5%)	303 (60.4%)	20 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (9.4%)	52.4	189^th of 390 public elementary schools	51.5%		47.3	194^th of 377 public elementary schools	48.5%	5	58.3	52.1	62.6	45.5			30.6	32.6	56.8	41.0			74.6		$11,306
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1043 Pass Road	Gulfport	39501	Harrison County	Gulfport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(228) 865-4642	480	36	13.1	100.0%	68 (14.2%)	324 (67.5%)	60 (12.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (5.0%)	23.4	313^th of 390 public elementary schools	19.7%		27.6	290^th of 377 public elementary schools	23.1%	23	41.8	39.3	47.6				20.3	28.6	30.5				54.9		$10,417

Frequently Asked Questions about Bel Aire Elementary School

Is Bel Aire Elementary School a good school?

Bel Aire Elementary School ranks 259^th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bel Aire Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 596 students attended Bel Aire Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Bel Aire Elementary School?

Students at Bel Aire Elementary School are 58% African American, 20% White, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Bel Aire Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bel Aire Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Harrison Central High School

What district is Bel Aire Elementary School in?

Harrison County School District

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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.