Summary:
Forest, Mississippi is served by a single middle school, Hawkins Middle School, which enrolls 460 students in grades 5 through 8 and is part of the Forest Municipal School District.
Because Hawkins is the only middle school in the district, all school-level metrics mirror the district's performance. The school has a high poverty rate, with nearly 84% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and its state ranking has declined from the 16th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 8th percentile in 2025-2026. However, there are signs of progress in some areas. Average proficiency improved year over year in English Language Arts (from 21.1% to 24.0%), math (from 28.6% to 29.7%), and science (from 41.6% to 45.0%). Chronic absenteeism stands at 20.2%, which is actually better than both the district average (24.6%) and the state average (23.9%), a notable positive given the school's poverty level.
Subject-level results reveal clear challenges and a few bright spots. Math proficiency declines sharply as students advance, with a 36.8% proficiency rate in 5th grade falling to just 19.4% in 8th grade, creating a 32-point gap versus the state average. ELA proficiency is low across all grades, especially in 7th grade where only 15.7% of students are proficient, more than 20 points below the state. On the positive side, 8th grade science stands out as a relative strength: 50.0% of students are proficient, just 7.8 points behind the state average, and this represents a strong year-over-year improvement from 42.3%. Mixed trends include significant gains in 5th grade ELA (+5.3 points) and 7th grade math (+5.4 points), but a worrisome drop in 8th grade math (-7.4 points). For parents, the picture is one of a school facing real academic hurdles, especially in upper-grade math and ELA, but with encouraging signs in science, attendance, and several year-over-year improvements that suggest targeted interventions could make a meaningful difference.
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