Petal Elementary

Summary:

Petal Elementary is a public elementary school in Petal, Mississippi, serving 634 students in grades 3-4. It is part of the highly-ranked Petal School District, which is rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Petal Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Mississippi, with students outperforming the state average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. In 2023-2024, 70.7% of 3rd graders and 74.2% of 4th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 57.7% and 57.1%. The school also has a relatively diverse student population, with 70.82% White, 16.4% African American, 5.52% Hispanic, and 0.79% Asian students. However, Petal Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 99.53%, indicating significant economic need among the student body.

Compared to nearby schools, Petal Elementary's academic performance is significantly stronger than Rawls Springs Attendance Center, which is part of the Forrest County School District. However, Petal Elementary's results are more comparable to the higher-performing schools within the Hattiesburg Public School District, such as Woodley Elementary and Rowan Elementary. The school's consistent high performance and ability to outperform nearby schools make it a standout institution within the Petal School District and the state of Mississippi.


Detail:

Public 3-4

 1179 Hwy 42 E
       Petal, MS  39465


(601) 582-7454

District: Petal School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
49th of 390 Mississippi Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,617 Help


Students who attend Petal Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Petal Middle School
    Petal Upper Elementary School
High:    Petal High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  634

Racial breakdown:

White:
70.8%
African American:
16.4%
Two or more races:
6.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.5% Help


 See top rated Mississippi elementary schools

 Compare Petal Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Petal Elementary ranks better than 87.4% of elementary schools in Mississippi. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 82.95. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.8%), African American (16.4%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 99.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Petal Elementary is 13.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Petal Elementary employs 46.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Petal Elementary is $7,617.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Petal Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Petal School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Petal School District 2nd of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Petal Elementary?

Rank History for Petal Elementary

Help
Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 87.47 34th 403 91.6%
2011 87.06 34th 418 91.9%
2012 90.60 28th 414 93.2%
2013 86.82 34th 408 91.7%
2014 80.85 54th 394 86.3%
2015 96.57 14th 402 96.5%
2016 90.59 20th 394 94.9%
2017 91.36 24th 406 94.1%
2018 94.60 13th 404 96.8%
2019 91.31 20th 397 95.0%
2021 95.64 9th 381 97.6%
2022 88.51 28th 382 92.7%
2023 83.87 44th 377 88.3%
2024 82.95 49th 390 87.4%
See the entire list of Mississippi Elementary School Rankings!

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

Petal Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Petal Elementary.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Petal Elementary, submit a rating!


Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Petal Elementary

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2009 530 94 5 12 0 0 0 0 641
2010 510 92 8 15 0 0 6 0 631
2011 503 94 7 25 1 0 5 0 635
2012 491 96 8 21 4 0 8 0 628
2013 476 69 7 28 1 0 18 0 599
2014 455 70 7 22 0 0 29 0 583
2015 442 87 5 18 0 2 27 0 581
2016 446 118 5 19 0 1 22 0 611
2017 486 113 5 21 1 2 23 0 651
2018 499 103 2 26 1 2 31 0 664
2019 470 116 1 39 0 0 27 0 653
2020 444 98 0 34 0 0 29 0 605
2021 422 85 1 18 0 0 22 0 548
2022 460 94 3 27 0 2 20 0 606
2023 449 104 5 35 0 1 40 0 634

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 Petal Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 641 37.7 17.0 52.6
2010 631 40.2 15.6 58.3
2011 635 36.9 17.1 63.3
2012 628 36.2 17.3 59.1
2013 599 36.5 16.3 59.1
2014 583 35.3 16.4 60.5
2015 581 36.0 16.1 62.5
2016 611 37.0 16.5 66.4
2017 651 36.4 17.8 59.6
2018 664 40.1 16.5 57.1
2019 653 40.4 16.1 63.6
2020 605 40.7 14.8 63.5
2021 548 39.7 13.7 99.5
2022 606 43.4 13.9 99.5
2023 634 46.2 13.7 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 Petal Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 641 37.7 17.0 52.6
2010 631 40.2 15.6 58.3
2011 635 36.9 17.1 63.3
2012 628 36.2 17.3 59.1
2013 599 36.5 16.3 59.1
2014 583 35.3 16.4 60.5
2015 581 36.0 16.1 62.5
2016 611 37.0 16.5 66.4
2017 651 36.4 17.8 59.6
2018 664 40.1 16.5 57.1
2019 653 40.4 16.1 63.6
2020 605 40.7 14.8 63.5
2021 548 39.7 13.7 99.5
2022 606 43.4 13.9 99.5
2023 634 46.2 13.7 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 Petal Elementary

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $584 (7.7%) $7,033 (92.3%) $7,617

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Petal Elementary

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 20th of 397 Elementary schoolsRanks 44th of 377 Elementary schools
 6.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Petal Elementary)71.173.3
 2.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Petal School District)71.173.3
 2.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)48.351.6
 3.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Petal Elementary)74.176.8
 2.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Petal School District)74.176.8
 2.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)51.454.8
 3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Petal Elementary)6963
 6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Petal School District)6963
 6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)48.553.4
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Petal Elementary)73.367.7
 5.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Petal School District)73.367.7
 5.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)48.856.7
 7.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students653634
 2.9%
African American116104
 10.3%
American Indian00
Asian15
 400%
Hispanic3935
 10.3%
Pacific Islander01
White470449
 4.5%
Two or More Races2740
 48.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients63.6%99.5%
 36%


Schools Near Petal Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Petal Elementary

Students at Petal Elementary are 71% White, 16% African American, 6% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

Petal Elementary ranks 49th of 390 Mississippi elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Petal Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Petal Middle School
Middle : Petal Upper Elementary School
High : Petal High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 634 students attended Petal Elementary.


Rate Petal Elementary!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Petal Elementary!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 84 milliseconds.