NW Mississippi News

There were 34,232 students enrolled in DeSoto County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 0.5% fewer than the previous year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.

Boys made up 50.6% of the county's student body, while the other 49.4% were girls.

Data also showed that Black students made up 42.5% of the student body, the largest percentage in DeSoto County schools, followed by white students with 40.2%, 9.2% multiracial students, 5% Hispanic students and 1.1% Asian students.

Desoto Central High School had the highest enrollment among DeSoto County’s 38 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 2,011 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
Center Hill Elementary School	761	789	3.7%
Center Hill High School	1,075	1,054	-2%
Center Hill Middle	775	768	-0.9%
Chickasaw Elementary School	478	479	0.2%
Desoto Central Elementary School	796	820	3%
Desoto Central High School	1,995	2,011	0.8%
Desoto Central Middle School	1,468	1,407	-4.2%
Desoto Central Primary School	876	847	-3.3%
Greenbrook Elementary School	502	582	15.9%
Hernando Elementary School	779	744	-4.5%
Hernando High School	1,419	1,482	4.4%
Hernando Hills Elementary School	692	750	8.4%
Hernando Middle School	1,150	1,147	-0.3%
Hope Sullivan Elementary School	548	553	0.9%
Horn Lake Elementary School	451	509	12.9%
Horn Lake High School	1,361	1,291	-5.1%
Horn Lake Intermediate School	921	882	-4.2%
Horn Lake Middle School	1,021	993	-2.7%
Lake Cormorant Elementary School	647	639	-1.2%
Lake Cormorant High School	969	974	0.5%
Lake Cormorant Middle School	764	712	-6.8%
Lewisburg Elementary School	542	603	11.3%
Lewisburg High School	1,275	1,286	0.9%
Lewisburg Middle School	1,031	1,005	-2.5%
Lewisburg Primary School	582	579	-0.5%
Oak Grove Central Elementary School	787	767	-2.5%
Olive Branch Elementary School	503	512	1.8%
Olive Branch High School	1,117	1,077	-3.6%
Olive Branch Intermediate School	465	439	-5.6%
Olive Branch Middle School	726	714	-1.7%
Overpark Elementary School	677	645	-4.7%
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	1,110	1,075	-3.2%
Shadow Oaks Elementary School	459	433	-5.7%
Southaven Elementary School	684	666	-2.6%
Southaven High School	1,850	1,825	-1.4%
Southaven Intermediate School	990	997	0.7%
Southaven Middle School	1,456	1,451	-0.3%
Walls Elementary School	718	725	1%