Middle Schools in East Jasper School District

The East Jasper School District is served by a single middle school, Heidelberg Junior High School, which enrolls 104 students in grades 7–8 in the Heidelberg, Mississippi area. Because this is the only middle school in the district, its results define the district's middle school performance, making it the highest- and lowest-performing school by default. The school serves a high-poverty student body, with 100% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, yet it maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.5:1.

Academically, math stands out as a relative strength. In 2024–2025, 8th grade math was the only subject to exceed the state average (51.1% vs. 47.5%), and in 2025–2026, 7th grade math improved sharply by 12 points to 51.2%, narrowing the gap with the state to just 6.5 points. English Language Arts is a persistent weakness, with 8th grade ELA proficiency at only 24.5% in 2025–2026, a 16.4-point gap below the state, and 7th grade ELA at 24.4% despite a modest year-over-year improvement. Science proficiency also slipped to 46.9%, about 11 points below the state. Overall average proficiency declined slightly from 39.8% to 38.0% while state averages rose, widening the gap from 7.5 to nearly 11 points.

Chronic absenteeism is a notable bright spot: at 12.4%, the rate is roughly half the state average of 23.9%, though slightly higher than the district's 10.5%. This suggests strong attendance despite high poverty. The school's state ranking has declined over three years, from the 55th percentile (3 stars) in 2023–2024 to the 32nd percentile (2 stars) in 2025–2026, driven mainly by ELA underperformance and a science dip. With a small cohort of roughly 50–60 students per grade, proficiency percentages can swing dramatically from just a few students, so year-to-year changes should be interpreted cautiously. The low student-teacher ratio, strong math gains, and low absenteeism provide promising levers for targeted improvement, especially in ELA and science, which could quickly lift both the school's and district's rankings.