DISTRICT QUICK FACTS

OUR DIVERSITY

Enrollment by Race:
African American: 65.32%
White: 29.21%
Asian: 3.20%
Hispanic: 1.70%

Enrollment by Gender: 
Male: 51.19%
Female: 48.81%
(DATA: 2023-2024 School Year)

Native Languages represented by English Language Learners: 30

ADVANCED ACADEMICS

• Starkville High School offers more than 50 dual credit/enrollment courses for 11th-12th graders and more than 15 Advanced Placement courses.
• In 2025, 81 students were inducted into the ACT 25+/30+ Club after scoring 25 or more on the college entrance exam. 
• 266 students earned perfect scores on one or more of Mississippi's 2023-2024 state assessments. 
• More than 34% of 2025 Starkville High School graduates earned membership in national honors organizations, including National Honor Society, National BETA Club and National Technical Honor Society.
• More than 45% of 2025 Starkville High School graduates earned a Mississippi Academic, Distinguished Academic or Career & Technical diploma endorsement. 
• In 2025, 6 graduates earned the highly regarded National Seal of Biliteracy for attaining proficiency in two or more languages.
• In 2025, 46 students earned national certifications through Starkville High's 14 CTE pathways and more than 34% of graduates were 2-year CTE completers. 

TEACHERS & STAFF

District Employees: 1000
Licensed Teachers: 450

• 4 SOCSD teachers have been honored as Mississippi Teacher of the Year.
• 6 SOCSD teachers have been named Mississippi Teacher of the Year Finalists.
• 16 SOCSD teachers have been inducted into the Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers.
• SOCSD staff members have earned the MS Association for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Administrator of the Year and New CTE Teacher of the Year.
• 41 SOCSD staff members have earned National Board Certification as NBC Teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and School Counselors.
• Sudduth Prinicpal Dr. Morgan Abraham was named Mississippi's representative to the National Distinguished Principals program.
• SOCSD Director of Choral Activities, Jennifer Davis, received one of 5 prestigious NFHS National Citation Awards.  

THE ARTS

• Award-winning arts programs offer students advanced instruction in fine arts, photography, ceramics, theatre, choral music, guitar, band, percussion and music theory.
• Strings instruction is available for students beginning in 2nd grade in partnership with Mississippi State University Department of Music. Piano instruction begins in 6th grade.
• In 2025, 61 choral students in 6th-12th grade were selected as members of the All State Honor Choir, the most from any single district.
• Fine Arts students have earned Best of Show accolades in National BETA, MS Scholastic Arts, & MS Congressional Art competitions, as well as multiple international photography honorees.
• Band participation begins in 6th grade and students in the SHS Wind Ensemble earn yearly honors in the Mississippi Lion’s Band and collegiate Honor Bands. The group was selected as the featured band at the statewide MS Bandmasters Conference twice in five years.
• The SHS Theatre program earns yearly statewide honors and superior ratings in individual, ensemble and troupe performances. In 2025, 10 SHS Thespians earned top 10 Mississippi honors at both the Mississippi Theatre Association and Mississippi Thescon Conferences.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• From PreK through 5th grade, all students enjoy Library, Maker Space, Physical Education, Art and Music each week.
• Upper Elementary and Middle School students can participate in more than 20 extracurricular clubs from science and robotics to engineering and gaming. 
• Students receive instruction and hands-on activities in beginning coding concepts as early as kindergarten and our robotics program begins in 6th grade.
• SOCSD offers programs for intellectually and artistically gifted students in 2nd-6th grade.
• Students in PreK-7th grade experience hands-on growing in our school gardens.
• Starkville High School students participate in more than 25 clubs and nationally affiliated skills-based, honors, and service organizations.
• Students at all grade levels are encouraged to participate in volunteer opportunities, with community service projects incorporated into virtually all club and team participation.

JACKET ATHLETICS

• With students competing in 19 sports and 53 teams from 7th to 12th grade, excellence is the Yellow Jacket standard.
• Starkville High School boasts student athletes who sign each year to compete in Community College and Division I & II athletics in sports like football, basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, cheer, track, volleyball, golf and swim.
• The 2025 graduating class included 22 collegiate signees. 

JACKET ATHLETICS offers competitive teams in the following sports:
Archery, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cheer, Chess, Cross Country, Dance, eSports, Football, Golf, Power Lifting, Soccer, Softball, Swim, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Wrestling

• SCHOOL MASCOT:Yellow Jackets
• SCHOOL COLORS:Black & Gold
• FIGHT SONG:“Notre Dame Victory March”
  written by brothers Michael J. and John F. Shea
• STUDENT SECTION:“The Nest”
• HASHTAG:#JacketSting