NE Mississippi News

There were 933 students enrolled in Benton County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.9% fewer than the previous year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Boys made up 49.5% of the county's student body, while the other 50.5% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 49.4% of the student body, the largest percentage in Benton County schools, followed by Black students with 43%, 3.5% multiracial students and 2.6% Hispanic students.

Hickory Flat Attendance Center had the highest enrollment among Benton County’s three schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 457 students.

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	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% change
Ashland Elementary School	274	256	-6.6%
Ashland Middle-High School	222	220	-0.9%
Hickory Flat Attendance Center	465	457	-1.7%