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Public middle school · Laurel School District · Laurel, Mississippi

Laurel Upper Elementary

Laurel Upper Elementary rates 5.3, above the middle of Laurel School District's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.6.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.3this school

5.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Laurel School District median is 4.6.

#665 of 864 schools in Mississippi · Laurel School District: 2 middle schools rated, median 4.6

The brief

A middle school in Laurel, MS where students score 23 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 665 of 864 schools in Mississippi and 2 of 5 in Laurel School District.

Laurel Upper Elementary is listed in Laurel School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math12%40 points below the Mississippi average of 52%Grades 5–6 · 256 students tested · 2026 MAAP
Reading23%29 points below the Mississippi average of 52%Grades 5–6 · 259 students tested · 2026 MAAP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2010–2026), then recovered 9 points since 2021, reaching 17% in 2026.2026 MAAP; 34 test records from MS state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.9
40% of the rating
Academics
1.8
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.2
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 23% (multi-year average, 2010-2026) · reading/ELA 23% (multi-year average, 2010-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MAAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MAAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 39440; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2010-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Laurel Upper Elementary and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$38,687
Median home value
$112,300
Median rent
$856/mo
College educated
20.3%
Homeownership
57.7%
Poverty rate
32.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 39440; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
46
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
40
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,706/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Laurel. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Laurel), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
100%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Laurel Upper Elementary serve?

Laurel Upper Elementary serves students in grades 5th through 6th.

How many students attend Laurel Upper Elementary?

Laurel Upper Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 286 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Upper Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Upper Elementary is 12.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Laurel Upper Elementary rank in MS?

Laurel Upper Elementary ranks #665 of 864 schools in MS.

What is Laurel Upper Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Laurel Upper Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Laurel Upper Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Laurel Upper Elementary has 23% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2010-2026) and 23% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2010-2026).

Is Laurel Upper Elementary a charter school?

No, Laurel Upper Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Laurel Upper Elementary a Title I school?

No, Laurel Upper Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Laurel Upper Elementary?

100.0% of students at Laurel Upper Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
5th – 6th
Enrollment
286
Student-teacher ratio
12.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
23
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Town
County
Jones County
Rank in district
#2 of 5
Schools in district
8
District spending per student
$12,215
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
40.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 39440)
20,111
Area average commute
18.1 min
Area median age
33.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Mississippi Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.