Harrison County School District Achieves A Rating

Harrison County School District Achieves First A Rating in History

(HARRISON COUNTY, MS)  The Harrison County School District has achieved an A-rating. It is the first A rating in the district’s history. According to Performance Level Grades from the Mississippi Department of Education, Harrison County School District (HCSD) gained ten points overall, and the list of A-rated schools in the district continues to grow.

HCSD now ranks among the top 25 school districts in Mississippi. Plus, West Harrison High is ranked third in the state, while Pineville Elementary is ranked sixth in Mississippi!

“I am very excited about Harrison County School District’s A rating, and am extremely proud of our students, teachers, administrators and staff for their hard work and dedication! This achievement speaks volumes about their determination to reach our goal of earning the highest academic rating possible,” said HCSD Superintendent Roy Gill.

The grading system for each school and district is based on various factors, including state test scores, student progress, college and career readiness, graduation rate, and participation rate. In HCSD, the number of A-rated schools has increased from eight to ten. Congratulations to these following schools for achieving their A status:

• D’Iberville Elementary School
• D’Iberville Middle School
• Lizana Elementary School
• Lyman Elementary School
• North Woolmarket Elementary & Middle School
• Pineville Elementary School
• Saucier Elementary School
• West Harrison High School
• West Wortham Elementary & Middle School
• Woolmarket Elementary School

This is the first time that D’Iberville Elementary, D’Iberville Middle, and Woolmarket Elementary Schools have achieved an A rating. Woolmarket Elementary made the most remarkable leap in the district. The school gained 76 points, which is the highest in HCSD.

“The combined effort of students, school faculty/staff, parents, and the community created an environment which increased student achievement, resulting in an “A” rating. High expectations and data-driven instruction fostered an institute of learning at Woolmarket Elementary School,” said Woolmarket Elementary Principal Vivian Bosworth.

D’Iberville Elementary came in second as far as growth in the district, with a 72-point increase. D’Iberville Middle School made a 45-point jump. West Harrison High went up 34 points, while Lizana Elementary came in close with a 33-point improvement.

“I am incredibly proud of our students for their hard work and academic success. A huge amount of their success is due to the dedicated teachers and staff of D’Iberville Elementary School. This would not have been possible without the support we received from our parents and our community,” said D’Iberville Elementary Principal Cindy Dusang.

“At D’Iberville Middle School, we wholeheartedly believe that compassion, respect and hard work have lead us to having a successful school year. Our teachers and students worked tirelessly to reach our goals, and we could not be any happier for them. It takes a strong team to work together as a family to do what is best for students! We extend our sincerest thanks to our amazing students and everyone -- our Warrior faculty, staff, family, and community members — who aim to serve them,” said D’Iberville Middle School Principal Matthew Elias.

"I am very proud of all of our teachers/staff and students at Lizana Elementary for their success!! I believe the success of our students are a result of the hard work and dedication of our teachers and students. I also want to thank our parents for their support and dedication to the success of our school," said Lizana Elementary Principal Dr. Dawn Hearn.

West Harrison High stands out as one of the highest achieving high schools in Mississippi. West Harrison not only maintained its A ranking for the third straight year, the school is also ranked third in Mississippi.

“We are thrilled to be the first school in Harrison County with an accountability score above 800. By increasing our score over 30 points from the 2017-18 school year, our teachers are proving they can and will prepare our students for growth and proficiency. At West Harrison High School, we are committed to remaining one of the top high schools on the Gulf Coast and in the state of Mississippi,” said West Harrison High Principal Dana Trochessett.

North Woolmarket’s A-rated streak is also noteworthy. This makes the seventh year in a row that the school has earned the state’s top rating.

“For the 7th straight year, NWEMS has continued its tradition of excellence. This has been made possible with the support of the parents, students, faculty, and community. Our teachers set high expectations through rigorous instruction. Our students step up to that challenge and continue to succeed,” said North Woolmarket Principal Alison Morgan.

Several other schools in HCSD deserve some recognition for making significant progress this past year. For instance, D’Iberville High’s graduation rate has increased to 90.2 percent.

Here are the five B-rated schools:

• D’Iberville High School
• Harrison Central Elementary School
• Harrison Central High School
• Orange Grove Elementary School
• Three Rivers Elementary School

With a 10-point increase district-wide, HCSD has experienced back-to-back growth. Last year, HCSD gained a total of 22 points, and was only four points away from making an A.

“Our schools set high expectations, and I felt confident our students and staff would rise to the challenge. We will continue to address areas that need improvement by Empowering Excellence in Everyone, because we are striving to be the top school district in the state of Mississippi,” said Roy Gill.

The accountability results will become official when the Mississippi State Board of Education approves them on September 19.