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What do you wish you knew before starting at WEST SIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
444
Elementary
DISTRICT 326 · STATE 446
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PICAYUNE SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 280363000700
West Side Elementary
111 Kirkwood Street, Picayune, MS 39466 · (601) 798-3625 · Pearl River County
GRADES KG–06ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL444 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.9:1
26 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 95.5:1 · STATE 15.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
74%
329 students
DISTRICT 79% · STATE 80%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MAAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
50.5%
MS avg 45.9% . -3.5pp since 2023
Math
39.9%
MS avg 52.8% . -3.2pp since 2023
What this means: On the MAAP, Mississippi's statewide test, about 51 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 40 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Mississippi schools, those numbers are about 46 and 53. Reading and writing scores are down about 4 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 3 points.
Source: MAAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
50.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
57.1%
based on MS schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-6.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 57% typical for Mississippi schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Mississippi's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
444
+19 (+4%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
16.9:1
was 17.0:1
% White
60%
was 65%
% Hispanic
8%
was 3%
% Black
25%
was 25%
% Asian
2%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About West Side Elementary
West Side Elementary operates as a moderately sized elementary school in Picayune, Mississippi, run under Picayune School District. Current enrollment sits at 444 students spanning grades K through 6.
Picayune School District comprises 8 schools with combined enrollment of 3,359 students; West Side Elementary is among them.
Demographically, West Side Elementary reports that the largest single group is White, at 60% of enrollment. Other groups include 25% Black, 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. By comparison, Pearl River County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.
Looking at the economic backdrop, West Side Elementary lists 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.9:1, putting West Side Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Around 74% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Pearl River County (around 65%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.
On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), West Side Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 57.1%, the actual is 50.8%, a residual of -6.4 points.
In the area at large, census data for Pearl River County shows the typical household earns roughly $58,135 per year, roughly 17% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. West Side Elementary is one of 20 public schools in Pearl River County (combined enrollment of about 8,456 students).
Nearest neighbor: Picayune Junior High School, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools.
The school occupies a town-center site.
Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 4%: 425 students in 2018 compared to 444 in 2025. The White share of enrollment fell from 65% to 60% over that span.
Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Pearl River County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
57,458
Census ACS
Median income
$58,135
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
17%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
14%
Below federal line
Schools in county
20
8,456 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Picayune School District
- Picayune Memorial High SchoolHigh · 940 students
- Picayune Junior High SchoolMiddle · 465 students
- Roseland Park ElementaryElementary · 370 students
- Nicholson ElementaryElementary · 324 students
- South Side Lower ElementaryElementary · 320 students
- South Side Upper ElementaryElementary · 310 students
Other schools in Picayune
- Picayune Memorial High SchoolHigh · 940 students
- Picayune Junior High SchoolMiddle · 465 students
- Roseland Park ElementaryElementary · 370 students
- West Hancock ElementaryElementary · 349 students
- Nicholson ElementaryElementary · 324 students
- South Side Lower ElementaryElementary · 320 students
Nearby schools
- Picayune Junior High School0.2 mi · 465
- Picayune Memorial High School0.3 mi · 940
- South Side Upper Elementary0.6 mi · 310
- South Side Lower Elementary0.6 mi · 320
- Roseland Park Elementary1.5 mi · 370
- Early Head Start Nicholson3.2 mi · 186
Frequently asked questions
About West Side ElementaryHow many students attend West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary enrolls approximately 444 students in grades KG-06.
What age range does West Side Elementary serve?
West Side Elementary serves students from grade KG through grade 06.
How many students per teacher at West Side Elementary?
Approximately 16.9:1 students per teacher at West Side Elementary.
How diverse is West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary reports a student body of 60% White, 8% Hispanic, 25% Black, 2% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is West Side Elementary public or private?
West Side Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Picayune School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.