The flagship school of the Petal School District continues to rank as one of the best in the United States, as Petal High School has been once again named by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 high school in the Hattiesburg metropolitan area in the report’s 2023-2024 Best High Schools.
In addition to that ranking, Petal High School placed No. 7 in Mississippi High Schools and in the top 40 percent of high schools nationally.
Ranking factors included College Readiness Index Rank, College Curriculum Breadth Index Rank, State Assessment Proficiency Rank, State Assessment Performance Rank and Graduation Rate Rank.
“This comes out every year, and they look at numerical rankings of the almost 18,000 public high schools nationwide,” said Matt Dillon, superintendent of the Petal School District. “For us to be mentioned in the top 12 percent in the nation – we’re 2,323 out of 18,000 schools – is very special.
“We know that Petal High School continues to perform at a high level year in and year out, because of our great faculty and staff. But also, (this is a testament to) the course offerings and the different things we offer for our students, and the way that our teachers connect by working closely with our students and families to form this partnership.”
According to statistics provided by U.S. News & World Report, 30 percent of students took at least one Advanced Placement exam and 21 percent passed at least one AP exam. Mathematics proficiency was at 53 percent, reading proficiency was at 49 percent, science proficiency was at 70 percent and the graduation rate was 96 percent.
The following ranking factors show how Petal High School performed nationally and statewide:
- College Readiness Index Rank: No. 5,564 nationally and ninth statewide;
- College Curriculum Breadth Index Rate: No. 5,339 nationally and 11th in the state;
- State Assessment Proficiency Rank: No. 995 nationally and 14th in the state;
- State Assessment Performance Rank: No. 2,339 nationally and 32nd in the state; and
- Graduation Rate Rank: No. 4,526 nationally and ninth in the state.
“This is another feather in the hat for our school district, specifically Petal High School,” Dillon said. “Also, when I think about the success of the students at the high school, I think about the strong foundation (the school and its students have).”
The Petal School District is made up of five campuses: Petal Primary School, Petal Elementary School, Petal Upper Elementary School, Petal Middle School and Petal High School. In addition, the district also oversees facilities such as the Coleman Center for Families and Children, which provides resources for families with young children in the district.
The high school serves students in grades nine through 12 in the district.
Last year, U.S. News & World Report named Petal High School as the No. 1 high school in the Hattiesburg metro area, No. 3 in Mississippi high schools and in the top 40 percent nationwide.
“This isn’t the first time that we’ve been (honored) on the national stage for this particular recognition,” Dillon said. “I attribute this to the hard work of our faculty and staff that just pour into our students each and every day.
“They invest in their lives and build relationships; they really are good at what they do, and they understand the content, and they’re always trying to get better at their craft. Then our students, they just respond, and they work hard inside the classroom and out. So it’s really just a great combination; we partner with families and we have the trust with them that we give the kids the best opportunities to perform on the national stage.”
