Summary:
The city of Columbia, Mississippi, has a single middle school, Jefferson Middle School, which serves students in grades 6-8. The school's performance and characteristics provide a nuanced picture of the educational landscape in this area.
Columbia School District, which oversees Jefferson Middle School, has seen the school's statewide ranking fluctuate in recent years, from 83rd out of 243 middle schools in 2022-2023 to 127th out of 266 in 2024-2025. The school's academic performance on MAAP tests has been mixed, with some grade levels and subjects scoring above the state average, while others fall below. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (100%) and a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio of 13.5 to 1, suggesting it serves a predominantly low-income student population.
One area of concern for Jefferson Middle School is its chronic absenteeism rate, which stood at 23.9% in the 2022-2023 school year. This high rate of chronic absenteeism may impact the school's overall performance and student outcomes, and addressing the factors contributing to this issue could be an important focus for the school and district. Overall, the analysis of Jefferson Middle School provides a nuanced understanding of the educational landscape in Columbia, Mississippi, highlighting both the school's strengths and the areas where improvement may be needed.
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