Can I use Perry County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Perry County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Perry County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Perry County?

Start with the 8 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Perry County Schools & Education

Name: Perry County, Mississippi Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Perry County, Mississippi

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

87.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,186

National avg $13,239

State avg $5,954

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 27/100

State Score Position

#14

of 81 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Perry County

Measured School Summary

Perry County performs at an average level with a school score of 40/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.6%.

Funding Context

At $7,186 per pupil, Perry County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 50% above the Mississippi average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.5 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 21% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Perry County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

8 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

40/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #14 of 81 Mississippi counties with school score data.

Completion

87.6%

0.5 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,186

$1,232 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Perry County has 8 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Perry County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Small-system county

Perry County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.

State position

#14

of 81 Mississippi counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

Elementary to high school visible

933 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 3Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

RICHTON SCHOOL DIST

Elementary and high visible

597 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST is the largest listed district slice, with 6 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Perry County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Perry County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Perry County School Score Significantly Outpaces Mississippi State Average

Education data brief for Perry County, Mississippi.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Perry County’s composite school score of 40.4 is substantially higher than the Mississippi state average of 26.9, though it remains below the national median of 50.0. The county operates eight public schools, all of which are classified as rural. Total enrollment for the county is 1,530 students, resulting in an average school size of 255 students, which is considerably smaller than schools in neighboring regions. The Perry County School District is the larger of the two districts in the county, managing six schools. Per-pupil expenditure is $7,186, which is higher than the state average of $5,954 but lower than the national average of $13,000. The high school graduation rate is 87.6%, slightly exceeding both the state average of 87.1% and the national average of 87.0%. There are currently no charter schools in the county. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Perry County

Reported Enrollment

1,530

8 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3

Middle1

High4

Other0

2 School Districts in Perry County

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

6 schools

933 students

RICHTON SCHOOL DIST

2 schools

597 students

8 Public Schools in Perry County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 8 of 8 matching schools

Public schools in Perry County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
RICHTON HIGH SCHOOL	Record	RICHTON SCHOOL DIST	RICHTON, 39476Rural: Distant	7–12	High	299
RICHTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	RICHTON SCHOOL DIST	RICHTON, 39476Rural: Distant	KG–6	Primary	298
PERRY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL	Record	PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST	NEW AUGUSTA, 39462Rural: Distant	9–12	High	278
SOUTH PERRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST	BEAUMONT, 39423Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	222
RUNNELSTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST	PETAL, 39465Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	217
PERRY CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST	NEW AUGUSTA, 39462Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	216
PERRY CO VOC COMPLEX	Record	PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST	NEW AUGUSTA, 39462Rural: Distant	9–12	Vocational	0
PERRY COUNTY ALTERNATIVE CENTER	Record	PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST	NEW AUGUSTA, 39462Rural: Distant	5–12	Alternative	0

RICHTON HIGH SCHOOL

RICHTON SCHOOL DIST

RICHTON, 39476 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High299 students

RICHTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RICHTON SCHOOL DIST

RICHTON, 39476 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary298 students

PERRY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

NEW AUGUSTA, 39462 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High278 students

SOUTH PERRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

BEAUMONT, 39423 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary222 students

RUNNELSTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

PETAL, 39465 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary217 students

PERRY CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

NEW AUGUSTA, 39462 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle216 students

PERRY CO VOC COMPLEX

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

NEW AUGUSTA, 39462 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12Vocational0 students

PERRY COUNTY ALTERNATIVE CENTER

PERRY CO SCHOOL DIST

NEW AUGUSTA, 39462 / Rural: Distant

Record5–12Alternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,186

State avg $5,954

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Perry County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Mississippi counties have the highest graduation rates?

Holmes County (97.0%), Montgomery County (97.0%), and Quitman County (97.0%) currently lead Mississippi among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Mississippi?

Across Mississippi counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $5,954. The highest current county values are Choctaw County ($8,216), Kemper County ($7,706), and Franklin County ($7,289). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Perry County?

Perry County has a school score of 40/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Perry County?

The high school graduation rate in Perry County is 87.6%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Perry County spend per student?

Perry County spends $7,186 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Calhoun County

Mississippi

+0 pts

41/100

School score

Webster County

Mississippi

+0 pts

41/100

School score

George County

Mississippi

+1 pts

42/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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