VWSD's accountability score rises, but grade falls to C

The Vicksburg Warren School District improved its overall accountability score for the 2025-26 school year, but tougher standards adopted by the state dropped the district's letter grade from a B to a C.

According to accountability results released Thursday by the Mississippi Department of Education, VWSD earned 615 points out of a possible 1,000, an eight-point increase over last year's score of 607. The district said that under the previous grading scale, the improvement would have been enough to retain its B rating.

The results also reflect a temporary scoring adjustment approved by the State Board of Education in August, allowing schools and districts to use the higher of their 2024-25 or 2025-26 results for three English language arts measures. The change followed the state's decision to field-test new writing prompts during spring testing.

Nearly a year ago, state Sen. Briggs Hopson warned local business leaders that Mississippi's rising academic standards would likely cause some school and district grades to fall.

"Our standards are changing now, that is part of the bill we passed, 10 to 12 years ago, is that once we reach a certain point — and our kids are achieving a certain level — we're going to increase the standards," Hopson said during an October 2025 Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce luncheon. "You're going to see some of the scores dip down, because the Department of Education is going to be putting in standards that will be more difficult."

The State Board of Education approved new grading thresholds in November 2025, following a two-year review triggered by statewide improvements in school performance, according to MDE.

Under state law, accountability standards must increase when student proficiency reaches certain benchmarks or when at least 65 percent of schools or districts earn a B or higher. Mississippi reached that threshold in 2023, when 74 percent of schools and 71 percent of districts received an A or B.

The new standards were used for the first time in the 2025-26 accountability ratings released Thursday. MDE cautioned that this year's letter grades cannot be directly compared with previous years because they establish a new baseline for measuring performance.

According to the district's statement, nine of its schools increased their accountability point totals.

Dana Road Elementary recorded the largest gain, climbing 95 points, followed by South Park Elementary with an 81-point increase. Vicksburg Junior High gained 68 points, Warren Central Intermediate gained 67 and Sherman Avenue Elementary improved by 64, according to the district.

Vicksburg Intermediate gained 55 points and earned a B for the first time in its accountability history, the district said. A comparison of MDE's 2024-25 and 2025-26 results showed Warrenton Elementary, Bovina Elementary and Bowmar Avenue also increased their point totals.

For the second time in four years, no district school received an F, and none scored below 300 points, according to VWSD.

"We welcome the higher standard, and we're proud of the growth our students and teachers delivered so far. This grade is our new starting point, and we will build from here," Superintendent Tori Holloway said in the district's statement.

The results were not uniform across the district. MDE's accountability figures show four schools received D grades under the new standards: Beechwood Elementary, Vicksburg Junior High, Warren Central Junior High and Vicksburg High. Bovina Elementary earned an A, while Dana Road and Vicksburg Intermediate earned Bs.

Statewide, 47 of Mississippi's 148 school districts received a C, the most common grade under the new standards.

“Raising academic standards is required by state law because it is an essential part of ensuring Mississippi students and schools continue to improve academically each year,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education.