Oxford Reporter

Among the ethnicities represented in Panola County schools, Black was the most prevalent among the county students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Of the 5,410 students attending Panola County schools, 63.9% were Black. White students were the second most common ethnicity, making up 30.6% of Panola County student body.

In the previous school year, Black students were also the most common group in Panola County, representing 64.3% of the student body.

In the 2023-24 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county dropped 2.2% when compared to the previous year.

Mississippi's schools, with an enrollment of 436,523 in the 2023-24 academic year, are mostly divided between two ethnicities, with Black or African American students being the largest racial group at 46.86%, followed by white students at 42.14%.

Students in the state showed a significant improvement in the 2022-23 academic year, demonstrating sustained progress in their post-pandemic recovery. Overall, 87% of schools and 91% of districts achieved a grade of C or better, compared to 81% of schools and 87% of districts in the prior year.

Results from the 2022-23 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) showed students reaching an all-time high in all core subjects. Students better performed on the Math and English portion of the test, achieving grades around 5% better than in the previous year.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	% of Total Student Population	Total Enrollment
Batesville Middle School	Black	61%	454
Green Hill Intermediate School	Black	96.5%	254
Batesville Elementary School	Black	60.9%	768
Como Primary School	Black	92.9%	280
North Panola High School	Black	97.8%	359
Pope Elementary School	White	82.1%	531
North Panola Middle School	Black	93.9%	262
Batesville Junior High School	Black	64%	784
South Panola High School	Black	58.8%	1,172
Batesville Intermediate School	Black	62.1%	546