| Harrison County School District | |
| Superintendent: | William Bentz |
| Type: | Public |
| Country: | USA |
| Grades: | K-12 |
| Accreditation: | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Enrollment: | 14,780 |
The Harrison County School District is a public school district based in Gulfport, Mississippi, United States.
In addition to serving portions of Gulfport and Biloxi, the district also serves the city of D'Iberville, the communities of Lizana, Lyman, Pineville, Saucier and Woolmarket, as well as most of rural Harrison County.
The Harrison County School District was created in 1957 as a result of a statewide reorganization plan passed into law by Mississippi Legislature. Districts coming together to form the new district were Pineville, Lyman, Orange Grove, Turkey Creek, North Gulfport, Woolmarket, D'Iberville, Saucier, Lizana and parts of the Dedeaux and the Sellers district. Past superintendents include R.L. Ladner, Esco Smith, R.D. "Bobby" Ladner, Henry Arledge, and Roy Gill. Mitchell King, appointed in 2021, is the district's current superintendent.
Beginning in July 2023, the district began requiring students to wear clothing that matches the gender norms of the genders that they are designated as in the school computer system. According to The Advocate, this infringes on transgender students.[1]
There were a total of 14,355 students enrolled in the Harrison County School District during the 2022-2023 school year. The gender makeup of the district was 48.5% female and 51.5% male. The racial makeup of the district was 33.9% African American, 48.7% White, 7.1% Hispanic, 2.6% Asian, 0.41% Native American, 0.36% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 6.9% Two or More Races.[3] 71.4% of the district's students participate in the federal free and reduced price meal program.[4]
| School Year | Enrollment | Gender Makeup | Racial Makeup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | Asian | Hispanic | African American | White | Multiracial | Alaskan Indian / Native American | Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | ||
| 2022-23 | 14,355 | 6,962 | 7,393 | 370 | 1,025 | 4,861 | 6,995 | 993 | 59 | 52 |
| 2021-22 | 14,318 | 6,972 | 7,346 | 371 | 954 | 4,822 | 7,176 | 907 | 46 | 42 |
| 2020-21 | 13,666 | 6,688 | 6,978 | 364 | 877 | 4,752 | 6,822 | 767 | 42 | 42 |
| 2019-20 | 14780 | 7190 | 7590 | 370 | 889 | 5116 | 7608 | 706 | 46 | 45 |
| 2018-19 | 15010 | 7221 | 7789 | 382 | 792 | 5232 | 7875 | 649 | 42 | 38 |
| 2017-18 | 14904 | 7201 | 7703 | 387 | 681 | 5112 | 8050 | 589 | 43 | 42 |
| 2016-17 | 14773 | 7142 | 7631 | 385 | 657 | 4951 | 8178 | 525 | 40 | 37 |
| 2015-16 | 14628 | 7086 | 7542 | 433 | 640 | 4901 | 8413 | 117 | 35 | 29 |
| 2014-15 | 14472 | 7047 | 7425 | 432 | 536 | 4689 | 8580 | 168 | 41 | 26 |
| 2013-14 | 14168 | 6835 | 7333 | 455 | 465 | 4497 | 8675 | 74 | ||
| 2012-13 | 14037 | 6773 | 7264 | 457 | 436 | 4392 | 8663 | 57 | ||
| 2011-12 | 13861 | 6734 | 7127 | 453 | 418 | 4197 | 8738 | 36 | ||
| 2006-07[5] | 2005-06[6] | 2004-05[7] | 2003-04[8] | 2002-03[9] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District Accreditation Status | Accredited | Accredited | Accredited | Accredited | Accredited | |
| School Performance Classifications | ||||||
| Level 5 (Superior Performing) Schools | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 2 | |
| Level 4 (Exemplary) Schools | 4 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | |
| Level 3 (Successful) Schools | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| Level 2 (Under Performing) Schools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Level 1 (Low Performing) Schools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Not Assigned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |