Highland Bluff Elementary

As a mid-sized elementary-level community in Brandon, Mississippi, Highland Bluff Elementary caters to 491 students from grades pre-K through 5, run under Rankin County School District.

Within Rankin County School District, which oversees 27 schools and 18,196 students, Highland Bluff Elementary is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Highland Bluff Elementary lists that 49% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest breaks down as 32% Black, 9% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 4% Asian. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 71%.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.4:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 15.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 40% of students at Highland Bluff Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Rankin County runs at roughly 50%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Highland Bluff Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 74.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 66.7%.

Across the wider county, Rankin County reports that median household earnings sit near $79,357, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Highland Bluff Elementary is one of 34 public schools in Rankin County (combined enrollment of about 22,454 students).

The closest other public school is Northwest High School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 38%: 787 students in 2018 compared to 491 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 67% to 49% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 19.6:1 in 2018 to 13.4:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Highland Bluff Elementary community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.