GTR Times

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

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Lowndes County, representing 57.3% of the student body.

Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science had the most diverse student body in Lowndes County including Asian, Black, Hispanic, white, and multiracial.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 1.5% 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.

Due to missing or insufficient enrollment data, some schools were not included in the analysis.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
Caledonia High School	White	73.3%	641
Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science	White	51.9%	241
New Hope Elementary School	White	50.5%	1,199
Caledonia Middle School	White	74.6%	539
West Lowndes Elementary School	Black	94.9%	253
Cook Elementary School	Black	86.3%	423
New Hope Middle School	White	54.1%	612
New Hope High School	Black	49%	818
Columbus High School	Black	94.6%	937
Sale Elementary School	Black	94.6%	275
Columbus Middle School	Black	93.6%	580
Fairview Elementary School	Black	96.5%	229
Caledonia Elementary School	White	75.5%	1,082
Franklin Academy	Black	84.7%	268
Stokes Beard Elementary School	Black	96%	353