Special to The Canton News
Canton Public School District increased its reported accountability score by 40 points, from 576 in 2025 to 616 in 2026, while retaining its C rating under Mississippi’s higher accountability standards. Six of the district’s seven schools posted higher point totals, and every school retained or improved its letter grade. Goodloe Elementary School advanced from B to A, joining Canton Elementary School as an A-rated campus.
These results come as the Mississippi Department of Education raises the requirements for earning A–F grades beginning with the 2025–26 school year. School officials explain that maintaining a rating under higher expectations is an achievement worth recognizing.
Goodloe Elementary recorded the district’s largest school point gain, adding 78 points to reach 482 and earn an A. Canton Elementary added 62 points, rising from 471 to 533 while maintaining its A rating. Both schools earned A ratings under the more rigorous grading requirements.
Progress also appears behind unchanged letter grades. RB Myers School of Arts and Sciences added 62 points, moving from 391 to 453 while retaining its B. McNeal Elementary gained 50 points, rising from 387 to 437 and maintaining its B. Officials explain these higher totals deserve recognition, even though the schools did not move to another letter-grade category.
Huey Porter Middle School increased its score by 11 points, from 394 to 405, and maintained its B rating. Nichols Middle School gained nine points, moving from 277 to 286 while retaining its D. Nichols’ higher score is a step forward, with further improvement still needed. Canton High School maintained its C rating at 636 points, one point below its previous total of 637.
The district’s area accountability comparison places Canton Elementary, Goodloe Elementary and Huey Porter Middle in the upper half of their respective comparison groups among schools in the metro area. Canton Elementary stands among the area’s higher-scoring elementary campuses; Goodloe’s A rating and area standing add to the district’s elementary strengths. Huey Porter’s standing reflects a competitive position among middle schools in the area.
Canton Public School District’s Board of Trustees Chair, Mr. Johnny Brown, expressed the following sentiments about the district’s performance: “As Board Chair, I want to express how proud the Canton Public School District’s Board of Trustees is of the continued progress our district is making in academic performance. These results reflect the hard work, dedication and commitment of our students, parents, teachers, school leaders and district staff. While we celebrate the progress we have made, we also recognize that our work is far from finished. Academic excellence is not a destination, but a continuous journey of improvement. We are committed to our responsibilities as a Board, which are to maintain high expectations, provide the necessary support, and ensure that every student has access to the opportunities and resources needed to succeed.”
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