Laurel Upper Elementary

Laurel Upper Elementary is a compact middle school in Laurel, Mississippi, part of Laurel School District. The school caters to 253 students in grades 5 through 6. That puts it 44% leaner than the typical public school in Mississippi, which averages around 452 students.

Laurel School District comprises 6 schools with combined enrollment of 2,620 students; Laurel Upper Elementary is among them.

On the student-mix side, Laurel Upper Elementary shows that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (81%). Beyond that, the school reports 16% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 29% Black, putting the school's mix visibly more Black than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Laurel Upper Elementary has 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.9:1. The state averages about 13.7:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Jones County's rate of about 76%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Jones County put median household income runs about $52,216, about 21% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Jones County's 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,313 students), Laurel Upper Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Laurel Middle School, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in a town-based area.

Five-year trend. Laurel Upper Elementary's enrollment has decreased 18% since 2018, when it stood at 310 (now 253). Black enrollment moved from 73% to 81% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 20.6:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.