Summary:
Philadelphia, Mississippi is served by a single middle school, Neshoba Central Middle School, which educates grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 645 students. This school is the sole middle-level option in the city and operates within Neshoba County Schools, a district ranked 3rd out of 134 districts in Mississippi (98th percentile) with a 5-star rating. Neshoba Central itself has earned 5 stars in each of the past three school years, consistently ranking in the top 10–15% of middle schools statewide, including a #11 ranking in 2024–2025 and a #26 ranking in 2025–2026.
Academically, the school’s greatest strength is mathematics. In 2025–2026, 8th-grade math proficiency reached 84.4% versus a 51.4% state average—a 33-point gap—and even the lowest grade-level math score (76.8% in 7th grade) was nearly 20 points above the state’s best grade-level result. Science performance is also strong, with 8th-grade proficiency at 75.1% compared to 57.8% statewide. English Language Arts remains above state averages in every grade, but scores are more modest and show volatility; for instance, 7th-grade ELA dropped from 61.3% to 46.0% between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026. Despite this, the school retains a 5-star rating and 90th-percentile ranking.
Notably, Neshoba Central achieves these results while serving a student body where 70.23% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 17.1% is significantly lower than the district’s 21.9% and the state’s 23.9%, suggesting strong engagement and a supportive climate. A favorable student–teacher ratio of 12.3 also likely contributes to academic success. For parents, this is a high-performing, well-rounded school with exceptional math and science outcomes, though ELA is an area for continued focus. While its state rank dipped in 2025–2026, Neshoba Central remains a standout middle school in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and a key driver of its district’s top-tier statewide standing.
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