Summary:
Kosciusko School District is served by a single middle school, Kosciusko Junior High School, which enrolls 472 students in grades 6–8 and sits in a high-poverty area where 77.3% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. As the only middle school in Kosciusko School District, its grade-level scores are identical to the district’s, and the district itself ranks 52nd out of 134 Mississippi districts. The school has held a steady 3-star rating, but its state percentile has slipped from the 63rd to the 55th percentile over the past three years.
Despite the overall downward trend, there are bright spots. Eighth grade math and English language arts both beat state averages, and Algebra I results are extraordinary — 100% proficiency in 2024–2025 and 82.8% in 2025–2026, compared to roughly 66–67% statewide. However, the 7th grade year stands out as a weak point: in both reported years, 7th grade ELA and math fell below state averages, and when the same cohort moved from 6th to 7th grade, math proficiency dropped by nearly 12 points and ELA by 9 points. By contrast, the same students rebounded strongly in 8th grade, gaining 11–14 points. The other concern is science, where 8th grade proficiency (52.8%) dipped below the state average (57.8%) in the most recent year.
Chronic absenteeism is a significant red flag: 26.2% of students are chronically absent, which is higher than both the district (21.6%) and the state (23.9%). Given the strong performance in 8th grade and Algebra I, the school appears capable of excellent instruction in certain areas, but the combination of a challenging 7th grade transition, a recent science decline, and above-average absenteeism likely explains the slipping state rank. For parents, this means that while Kosciusko Junior High has clear academic strengths, targeted attention to 7th grade support, attendance, and science would likely help the school build on its successes and reverse the recent downward trend.
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