Nicholson Elementary

Set in Picayune, Mississippi, Nicholson Elementary is a low-enrollment K-5 school, operated by Picayune School District. It serves 324 students across grades K through 6. By comparison, Mississippi's public schools average about 446 students each, so Nicholson Elementary sits 27% leaner than that benchmark.

Nicholson Elementary is one of 8 schools operated by Picayune School District, a district that educates 3,359 students overall.

Demographically, Nicholson Elementary lists that the most-represented group is White (48%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest is composed of 26% Black, 21% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. By comparison, Pearl River County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Nicholson Elementary has 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.7:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.9:1, putting Nicholson Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 85% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Pearl River County runs at roughly 65%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Pearl River County indicate median household income runs about $58,135, roughly 17% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 14%. Across Pearl River County's 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,456 students), Nicholson Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Early Head Start Nicholson, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools.

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

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 20%: 404 students in 2018 compared to 324 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment grew from 8% to 21% over that span.

On this page, the feed for Nicholson Elementary typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.