JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – When the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released its accountability grades for the 2023-24 school year in September, there was cause for celebration.

Eighty-six percent of public schools and 94% of districts scored at grades A, B, or C. MDE’s ultimate goal is to see all schools and districts ranked at a C or higher. Some institutions have yet to reach that goal.

Several districts in the WJTV 12 News viewing area drew A ratings, including Choctaw County, the Kosciusko School District, Madison County, Rankin County, Smith County and Lincoln County.

“Sometimes there is a challenge in bringing in teachers to fill those positions. Teachers retire, and as people decide to leave the profession, I think those are challenges that we face, but we’ve been managing to keep those positions filled every year,” said Dr. Lavonda White, director of Accountability, Accreditation and Assessment for the Rankin County School District.

Other districts are still struggling. East Tallahatchie Consolidated and West Bolivar Consolidated were graded F, and three charter schools in the City of Jackson fared poorly as well.

The Jackson Public School District (JPS) did a bit better, pulling in a C grade for the third academic year in a row. However, the district’s total points score dipped. That score draws from reading, math and science performance. JPS fell 55 points between last school year and the previous.

The Clinton Public School District continued to earn A marks.

“I think we try to vet candidates and teachers as much as we can. We try to do as many reference checks as possible, but we’re also very upfront. We talk to teachers about. It is a challenge to work here, and it is a challenge to live up to those expectations every day. It’s a hard place to work, and we don’t make any bones about that,” said Dr. Andy Schoggin, superintendent for the Clinton Public School District.

The Hinds County School District remained a B grade performer. In Rankin County, the Pearl Public School District remained an A grade standout.

“Some of the challenges that we face are, of course, our growing population of students. Some of our schools, I feel are outgrowing their buildings, and we’re having to acquire more space to be able to meet those needs,” said White.

The Rankin County School District, covering Brandon, Northwest Rankin, Florence, and more, did even better.

“Between the years of 2016 and 2023, we’ve always had at least one school that was below a B rating. For this year, we did not have a single school that had a rating below a B,” stated White.

Results are more mixed in Madison County. The Canton Public School District saw their point score dip from the previous school year, though they retained their B grade. The Madison County School District remains a top achiever.

In Forrest County, both the county-wide district and Hattiesburg Public Schools saw big score gains last year. The Forrest County Agricultural High School had the highest points total in the county.

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