Summary:
Ripley Middle School is the only middle school in the South Tippah School District, serving 459 students in grades 5–8. The district itself ranks 33rd out of 134 Mississippi districts (75th percentile, 4-star rating), while the school sits near the 60th percentile statewide. With a 12.9 student-teacher ratio, a 78% free/reduced lunch rate, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 14.5% — well below the state’s 23.9% — this is a school with solid attendance and strong early-middle-school academics, though challenges appear in the upper grades.
Ripley Middle School shows clear academic strengths in 5th and 6th grade. In 2025–2026, 5th grade math proficiency reached 71.9%, compared to 49.6% statewide, and 5th grade science hit 77.5% versus 71.5% statewide. The school also improved its state ranking from a 2-star rating in 2023–2024 (161st of 264 schools) to a 3-star rating in both 2024–2025 (97th of 266) and 2025–2026 (105th of 260). Chronic absenteeism is a notable positive, especially given the high poverty rate, and likely supports these gains. However, the school is the only middle school in the district, so all comparisons are against state averages rather than a nearby peer school.
The biggest concern is a clear pattern of declining performance as students progress. While 5th and 6th graders outperform state averages in math and ELA, 7th and especially 8th grade results slip below state benchmarks. The most dramatic drop is 8th grade ELA, which fell from 49.1% to 32.0% proficiency in one year — a 17.1-point decline. Similarly, 8th grade math (47.5%) trails both the district (55.0%) and state (51.4%), and 8th grade science (52.5%) is below the state’s 57.8%. Overall math proficiency across grades is about 60.6% versus 52.9% statewide, but that advantage disappears by 8th grade. For parents, this means Ripley Middle School offers a strong foundation in early middle school, but families should watch for additional support needs as students approach high school.
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