Best Public Schools in Terry, MS

The city of Terry, Mississippi, is served by 2 schools in the Hinds County School District: Terry High School and Byram Middle School, together covering grades 6 through 12 (with no elementary schools within the city limits). Both schools serve predominantly low-income families, with 64% of Terry High students and 70% of Byram Middle students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. The district itself ranks 93rd out of 134 districts in Mississippi (2 stars, 31st percentile).

Byram Middle School is the clear standout, particularly for its extraordinary Algebra I results: 96.1% of its students taking the Algebra I End-of-Course exam scored proficient in 2025–2026, nearly double the district rate (50.9%) and far above the state (66%). It also has a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 12.6% — less than a third of Terry High's 41.3% — and has improved its statewide percentile rank three years in a row, from the 31st to the 49th percentile. Terry High School, by contrast, shows strengths in Biology (74.2% proficient vs. 63.1% statewide) and U.S. History (79.1% vs. 69.7% statewide), but struggles in Algebra I (41.6%) and English II (33.7%), both well below state averages.

The two schools have very different trajectories. Byram Middle School is improving steadily and outperforms its district in multiple subjects, suggesting it is a bright spot within the Hinds County School District despite its high-poverty enrollment. Terry High School, however, slipped to the 29th percentile in 2025–2026 after a brief improvement, with chronic absenteeism nearly double the district average and a graduation rate (84.6%) below the state's 89.2%. Parents choosing between these schools will find that Byram Middle is building strong momentum — especially in math and attendance — while Terry High offers solid science and history instruction but faces significant challenges in core math and English skills that families may want to investigate further.