Public schools in Picayune, MS
12 open public schools with an address in Picayune, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
3,708
11 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
16.9:1
Mississippi median 13.9:1
Charter schools
0
1 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Picayune public schools
The federal directory lists 12 public schools in Picayune, MS: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 3 combined or other. The 11 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 3,708 students, an average of 337 per school. The largest campus is Picayune Memorial High School (940 students), and the largest elementary school is West Side Elementary (444).
Picayune School District operates the most schools here (11), and 2 regular districts have at least one Picayune campus. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 16.9:1, higher than the statewide school median of 13.9:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 magnet school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
About 74% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Picayune
Elementary schools in Picayune
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholson Elementary Picayune School District | KG–06 | 324 | 14.7:1 | |
| Roseland Park Elementary Picayune School District | KG–06 | 370 | 20.4:1 | |
| South Side Lower Elementary Picayune School District | PK–02 | 320 | 17.1:1 | |
| South Side Upper Elementary Picayune School District · Magnet | 03–06 | 310 | 14.5:1 | |
| West Hancock Elementary Hancock School District | KG–05 | 349 | 13.4:1 | |
| West Side Elementary Picayune School District | KG–06 | 444 | 16.9:1 |
Middle schools in Picayune
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picayune Junior High School Picayune School District | 07–08 | 465 | 17.2:1 |
High schools in Picayune
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picayune Memorial High School Picayune School District | 09–13 | 940 | 15.5:1 | |
| Pmhs Career & Technology Center Picayune School District · Career and Technical School | 08–12 | 0 | — |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Picayune
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Alternative Education Picayune School District · Alternative School | 01–12 | 0 | — | |
| Early Head Start Nicholson Picayune School District | PK–PK | 186 | 489.5:1 | |
| Early Head Start Rosa Picayune School District | PK–PK | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White59.5%
- Hispanic9.2%
- Black26.9%
- Asian0.9%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial3.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 9 Picayune schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (3,708 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Picayune
How many public schools are in Picayune, MS?
The current NCES directory lists 12 open public schools with a location address in Picayune: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 3,708 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Picayune?
Schools with an address in Picayune belong to 2 education agencies, led by Picayune School District (11 schools), Hancock School District (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Picayune?
Picayune Memorial High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Picayune, with 940 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–13). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Picayune?
No school with an address in Picayune is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Mississippi.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Picayune schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Picayune public schools is 16.9:1, higher than the Mississippi school median of 13.9:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Picayune guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Mississippi cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Mississippi cities