Mississippi Gulf News

There were 5,689 students enrolled in Hancock County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.8% fewer than the previous year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Boys made up 52.2% of the county's student body, while the other 47.8% were girls.

Data also showed that white students made up 77% of the student body, the largest percentage in Hancock County schools, followed by Black students with 12.4%, 7.5% multiracial students, 0.9% Hispanic students and 0.2% Asian students.

Hancock High School had the highest enrollment among Hancock County’s 10 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 1,189 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
Bay High School	491	499	1.6%
Bay Waveland Middle School	392	374	-4.6%
East Hancock Elementary School	639	635	-0.6%
Hancock High School	1,187	1,189	0.2%
Hancock Middle School	958	912	-4.8%
Hancock North Central Elementary School	400	418	4.5%
North Bay Elementary School	364	476	30.8%
South Hancock Elementary School	535	494	-7.7%
Waveland Elementary School	425	329	-22.6%
West Hancock Elementary School	341	363	6.5%