Orange Grove Elementary

Orange Grove Elementary is one of the cozy junior highs in Gulfport, Mississippi, operated by Harrison County School District, with 346 students on its rolls from grades 4 through 6. Compared to the state average of about 452 students per school, that is 23% below typical.

Across the 22 schools in Harrison County School District (14,253 students total), Orange Grove Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Orange Grove Elementary records that 42% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 38% White, 9% multiracial, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian. By comparison, Harrison County as a whole is about 24% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, The school reports having 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Orange Grove Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Around 75% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Harrison County put median household earnings sit near $59,479, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. In all, Harrison County runs 55 public schools (combined enrollment of about 30,521 students), of which Orange Grove Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Harrison Central Elementary, roughly 0.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Orange Grove Elementary operates from an inner-city location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Orange Grove Elementary has fell 24%, going from 458 students in 2018 to 346 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment fell from 55% to 42% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 19.0:1 in 2018 to 17.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.