Total enrollment
10,857
-217 (-2%) vs SY 2017-18
Forrest County
Mississippi · Public K-12
In Forrest County, Mississippi, the public-school system rolls up to 21 schools and roughly 10,857 K-12 students, with county median household income around $53,640. By grade band, the county runs 12 elementary, 4 middle, and 4 high schools.
7-year change in Forrest County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
20
0 (0%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
39%
was 42%
% Hispanic
9%
was 4%
% Black
45%
was 51%
% Asian
0%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
21
4 districts
Enrollment
10,857
NCES CCD
Median income
$53,640
Above Mississippi avg
Free/reduced lunch
78.7%
Below Mississippi avg
Elementary
12
5,543 students
Middle
4
2,065 students
High
4
3,249 students
Combined / other
1
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Petal School District
4,253 students · 4 districts in Forrest County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Forrest County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
30.6%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
15.6%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
6.7%
civilian labor
Median age
32
22.7% under 18
Test scores in Forrest County
Latest 2023-24 ELA proficiency, 20 schools ranked. Mississippi state average: 46.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Petal Upper Elementary· 69.2%
- Dixie Attendance Center· 68.6%
- Forrest County Agricultural High School· 67.9%
- Petal High School· 67.6%
- South Forrest Attendance Center· 66.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Earl Travillion Attendance Center· 28.6%
- Hawkins Elementary· 39.6%
- Rawls Springs Attendance Center· 41.2%
- North Forrest High School· 42.1%
- N R Burger Middle· 42.6%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petal High School | Petal | High | 09-13 | 1,324 | · |
| Petal Primary School | Petal | Elementary | PK-02 | 1,016 | · |
| Hattiesburg High School | Hattiesburg | High | 09-13 | 1,014 | · |
| Petal Middle School | Petal | Middle | 07-08 | 645 | · |
| Petal Elementary 3-4 | Petal | Elementary | 03-04 | 636 | · |
| Petal Upper Elementary | Petal | Middle | 05-06 | 632 | · |
| Thames Elementary | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-05 | 619 | · |
| South Forrest Attendance Center | Brooklyn | Elementary | PK-08 | 604 | · |
| Forrest County Agricultural High School | Brooklyn | High | 09-12 | 562 | · |
| N R Burger Middle | Hattiesburg | Middle | 07-08 | 525 | · |
| Dixie Attendance Center | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-08 | 487 | · |
| Rowan Elementary | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-05 | 425 | · |
| Woodley Elementary | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-05 | 422 | · |
| Grace Christian Elementary | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-05 | 367 | · |
| North Forrest High School | Hattiesburg | High | 07-12 | 349 | · |
| Hawkins Elementary | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-05 | 283 | · |
| Hattiesburg STEAM Academy | Hattiesburg | Middle | 06-06 | 263 | · |
| Earl Travillion Attendance Center | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-08 | 261 | · |
| Rawls Springs Attendance Center | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-06 | 214 | · |
| North Forrest Elementary School | Hattiesburg | Elementary | PK-06 | 209 | · |
| LILLIE BURNEY LEARNING CENTER | Hattiesburg | Combined | 04-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Forrest County
About Forrest County
Forrest County is a middle-population Mississippi county of about 78,272 residents, home to 21 public schools and roughly 10,857 students.
Stepping back, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $53,640, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 7% higher than the Mississippi median.
In terms of grade levels, Forrest County comprises 12 elementary schools (5,543 students), 4 middle schools (2,065), 4 high schools (3,249), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Forrest County is Petal School District, which alone enrolls about 4,253 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 10,857 students, stayed largely flat from the 11,074 reported in SY 2017-18. The Black share of public-school enrollment fell from 51% to 45%.
On this page, the community for Forrest County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Forrest County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data