Pearl Lower Elementary

Pearl Lower Elementary is a heavily attended elementary campus in PEARL, Mississippi, run under Pearl Public Schools. The school teaches 763 students in grades pre-K through 1. That puts it 71% larger than the typical public school in Mississippi, which averages around 446 students.

Across the 5 schools in Pearl Public Schools (4,258 students total), Pearl Lower Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Pearl Lower Elementary lists that the most-represented group is Black (40%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 39% White, 12% Hispanic, 8% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 21% Black, putting the school's mix considerably more Black than the area baseline.

On the resource side, On paper, Pearl Lower Elementary has 51 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.1:1. The state averages around 15.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 70% of students at Pearl Lower Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Rankin County (around 50%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Around the school, Rankin County reports that median household earnings sit near $79,357, about 34% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Pearl Lower Elementary is one of 34 public schools in Rankin County (combined enrollment of about 22,454 students).

Nearest neighbor: Pearl Jr High School, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Pearl Lower Elementary.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Five-year trend. Pearl Lower Elementary's enrollment has changed only slightly since 2018, when it stood at 776 (now 763). White enrollment moved from 53% to 39% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 17.6:1 in 2018 to 15.1:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.