EC Mississippi News

Among the ethnicities represented in Lauderdale County schools, Black was the most prevalent among the county students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Of the 9,767 students attending Lauderdale County schools, 55.3% were Black. White students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 38.1% of Lauderdale County student body.

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Lauderdale County, representing 57.9% of the student body.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 7.2% when compared to the previous year.

Mississippi's schools, with an enrollment of 436,523 in the 2023-24 academic year, are mostly divided between two ethnicities, with Black or African American students being the largest racial group at 46.86%, followed by white students at 42.14%.

Students in the state showed a significant improvement in the 2022-23 academic year, demonstrating sustained progress in their post-pandemic recovery. Overall, 87% of schools and 91% of districts achieved a grade of C or better, compared to 81% of schools and 87% of districts in the prior year.

Results from the 2022-23 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) showed students reaching an all-time high in all core subjects. Students better performed on the Math and English portion of the test, achieving grades around 5% better than in the previous year.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
Northwest Junior High School	Black	94%	518
Northeast Lauderdale Middle School	Black	58.1%	539
Clarkdale High School	White	83.9%	410
West Lauderdale Middle School	White	79.8%	516
Magnolia Middle School	Black	92.6%	443
Northeast Lauderdale Elementary School	Black	59.4%	746
West Hills Elementary School	Black	92.3%	428
West Lauderdale High School	White	75.9%	551
Northeast Lauderdale High School	Black	56.9%	610
Southeast Lauderdale Middle School	White	61.8%	372
Clarkdale Elementary School	White	86.9%	542
Southeast Lauderdale High School	White	58%	376
Southeast Lauderdale Elementary School	White	65.6%	564
West Lauderdale Elementary School	White	80.1%	725
Poplar Springs Elementary School	Black	82.2%	382
Crestwood Elementary School	Black	92.1%	352
Parkview Elementary School	Black	95.5%	379
Meridian High School	Black	92.5%	1,314