DeSoto County Schools retain ‘A’ rating in state accountability results

HERNANDO, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education has once again awarded DeSoto County Schools an “A” rating in the state’s 2025 accountability results, affirming the district’s position as one of the top-performing public school systems in the state.

The district, Mississippi’s largest with nearly 35,000 students, earned a total of 703 points in the accountability model, driven by strong proficiency and growth scores across reading, math, science, and history. DeSoto County Schools also reported a 97% graduation rate, among the highest in Mississippi and the highest in the school district’s history, according to Supt. Corey Uselton.

“I am so proud of our students, teachers, administrators, and staff,” Uselton said. “This achievement is a true team effort, supported by our parents and the entire DeSoto County community. Our students, teachers, administrators, and staff work hard every day, and they are very deserving of this recognition.”

High Schools Lead the Way

Several high schools stood out in the new report. Lewisburg High School posted the strongest overall performance with a 100% graduation rate and 93.8% math proficiency, while Hernando High School reached a 97.1% graduation rate with 91.4% math proficiency.

Center Hill High, DeSoto Central High, Olive Branch High, and Lake Cormorant High all earned “A” grades, with graduation rates above 96%. Horn Lake High School and Southaven High School earned “B” grades but maintained graduation rates above 95%.

Middle School Performance

At the middle school level, Hernando, Lewisburg, Center Hill, and DeSoto Central earned “A” ratings, reflecting strong student growth. Olive Branch, Horn Lake, Lake Cormorant, and Southaven Middle schools posted grades ranging from “C” to “D,” showing areas where additional academic support is needed.

Elementary Schools

The elementary and primary school results showed a mix of high performance and areas for improvement:

• Top performers (“A” schools): Lewisburg Elementary, Lewisburg Primary, Lewisburg Intermediate, Oak Grove Central, Overpark, Pleasant Hill, and Center Hill Elementary.
• Solid performance (“B” schools): Hernando Elementary, Hernando Hills, Olive Branch Elementary, Olive Branch Intermediate, Greenbrook, Southaven Elementary, Southaven Intermediate, Lake Cormorant Elementary, and Chickasaw Elementary.
• Lower performance (“C” schools): Horn Lake Elementary, Horn Lake Intermediate, Hope Sullivan Elementary, Shadow Oaks, and Walls Elementary.

Continuing Challenges

While the district overall earned its top rating, schools in Southaven, Horn Lake, and Walls face challenges in reading and math proficiency. Southaven Middle received a “D” rating, the lowest in the district, while several Horn Lake-area elementary schools scored “C.”

“We will use this test data to learn, grow, and continue our commitment to improvement in every school,” Uselton said.

District Overview

• District Grade: A
• Total Points: 703
• Graduation Rate: 97%
• Highlights:
  • Strong overall performance across proficiency, growth, and readiness.
  • Reading proficiency: 51.1%
  • Math proficiency: 61.5%
  • History proficiency: 74.6%
  • Science proficiency: 65.3%

High Schools

• Hernando High School – Grade A, 70.1% reading proficiency, 91.4% math proficiency, graduation rate 97.1%.
• Lewisburg High School – Grade A, 70.2% reading, 93.8% math, graduation rate 100%.
• Olive Branch High School – Grade A, 54.1% reading, 82.8% math, graduation rate 98.3%.
• Lake Cormorant High School – Grade A, 41% reading, 70.8% math, graduation rate 98.2%.
• Center Hill High School – Grade A, 63.7% reading, 86.6% math, graduation rate 96.3%.
• DeSoto Central High School – Grade A, 61.3% reading, 82% math, graduation rate 96.1%.
• Horn Lake High School – Grade B, 41.3% reading, 71.7% math, graduation rate 96.3%.
• Southaven High School – Grade B, 34.3% reading, 67.3% math, graduation rate 95.3%.

Middle Schools

• Hernando Middle – A
• Lewisburg Middle – A
• Center Hill Middle – A
• DeSoto Central Middle – A
• Olive Branch Middle – C
• Horn Lake Middle – C
• Southaven Middle – D
• Lake Cormorant Middle – C

Elementary / Primary / Intermediate Schools

• High-performing (A):
  • Lewisburg Elementary, Lewisburg Primary, Lewisburg Intermediate, Oak Grove Central, Overpark Elementary, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Center Hill Elementary.
• Mid-range (B):
  • Hernando Elementary, Hernando Hills, Olive Branch Elementary, Olive Branch Intermediate, Greenbrook, Southaven Elementary, Southaven Intermediate, Lake Cormorant Elementary, Chickasaw Elementary.
• Lower-range (C/D):
  • Horn Lake Elementary, Horn Lake Intermediate, Hope Sullivan Elementary, Shadow Oaks Elementary, Walls Elementary.

Key Takeaways

• Strengths:
  
  • DCS remains an A-rated district with consistently high graduation rates (above 95% at all high schools).
  • Lewisburg schools are standout performers, with Lewisburg High scoring the highest (100% graduation, >90% math proficiency).
  • Hernando and Center Hill schools also perform very strongly across proficiency and growth.

• Challenges:
  
  • Southaven Middle (D) and several Horn Lake-area schools (C ratings) show lower proficiency rates.
  • Southaven High and Horn Lake High, while maintaining strong graduation rates, lag in proficiency compared to Hernando and Lewisburg.
  • Elementary schools in the western part of the county (Horn Lake, Walls, Hope Sullivan, Shadow Oaks) are generally scoring C or below.

Uselton said the school district, and all public schools in Mississippi, are being challenged to continue providing the highest level of excellent, quality education.

“All school districts face the challenge of meeting the needs of every individual student,” he said. “This data helps us identify ways to meet those individual needs through differentiated instruction. W+ith changes coming to the accountability model, we know it will be more difficult to achieve an ‘A’ rating. Regardless of those changes, our focus will remain on the academic success of every student.”