HATTIESBURG — Ampact tutors and community volunteers are helping students at Hawkins Elementary School prepare for upcoming reading retests after 58.3% of the school’s third graders met Literacy-Based Promotion Act requirements on the initial state reading assessment this spring. 

The effort comes as reading proficiency declined across Hattiesburg Public Schools this year. The percentage of third graders meeting Literacy-Based Promotion Act requirements fell 6.5 percentage points, from 81.9% in 2025 to 75.4%

in 2026. According to the Mississippi Department of Education’s initial assessment report, 24.6% of Hattiesburg students did not meet LBPA requirements on the first administration of the assessment. 

Students who do not meet the state’s reading proficiency benchmark are eligible for retesting during the final testing window, scheduled for June 22-26. Those who do not meet the required score may be retained in third grade unless they qualify for an approved exemption. The Mississippi Department of Education allows students up to two retest opportunities after the initial assessment. 

Through a partnership with Ampact, tutors serve elementary schools across Hattiesburg Public Schools, providing additional support for students preparing to retest. 

One group supporting that effort is Neighbors at Hawkins, a community partnership supported by the Pinebelt Foundation that provides tutoring, mentoring and support services for students, families and teachers. 

“Neighbors at Hawkins is serving on a daily basis at Hawkins Elementary School … making a difference with students, parents and the needs that the school has,” said Caroline Nurkin, director of operations for the Pinebelt Foundation. 

The initiative placed two reading tutors and one math tutor at Hawkins during the past school year. Through the Pinebelt Foundation’s partnership with Ampact, a national service organization that places tutors in schools, similar support is available at elementary schools across the district. 

“We put tutors in all the Hattiesburg Public School District elementary schools,” Nurkin said. “We just want to serve in a way that maybe the teachers need a little extra help and the students need more one-on-one assistance.”

Nurkin said the program’s impact extends beyond test scores, helping students build confidence in reading and academics. 

Jasmin Baxter, communications and engagement coordinator for Hattiesburg Public Schools, said district leaders remain confident scores will improve after retesting because students receive targeted instruction in phonics, vocabulary and reading comprehension. 

Baxter said several factors may have contributed to this year’s decline, including curriculum changes and the district’s transition to digital learning platforms. 

Despite this year’s results, she said that the district’s schools have maintained A ratings for the past three years and said growth remains the district’s primary goal. 

Parent and district tutor Tacarra Hayes said teachers play an important role in helping students develop reading confidence. She credited her daughter’s third-grade teacher with using multiple strategies to strengthen reading skills, particularly by making reading materials relatable to students, and said she remains confident in the district’s efforts to identify student needs and provide support. 

“We don’t like to admit it, but a lot of kids that do well, there’s not as much attention put onto them,” Hayes said. “Anybody who’s needing help, there is help afforded and broadcasted at each campus.” 

As the final retesting window approaches, educators, tutors and volunteers continue working with students in hopes that additional support will help more children meet state reading requirements before the start of fourth grade. Final district results are expected this fall.