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Belle-Shivers Middle School

Q: Is Belle-Shivers Middle School a good school?

Belle-Shivers Middle School ranks 184 th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

184^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 30% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Belle-Shivers Middle School in Aberdeen, Mississippi, serves 266 students in grades 5 through 8 and is part of the Aberdeen School District, which ranks in the lower tier of the state's districts. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged population—100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—yet it maintains a low student-teacher ratio of about 10.8:1, giving teachers more opportunity for individual attention.

Academically, Belle-Shivers shows a clear split between subjects. Math is a relative strength: 6th and 7th grade math proficiency has at times met or exceeded state averages, and 8th grade math jumped from 29.4% to 41.2% proficient in 2025-2026—the second-highest among nearby middle schools, behind only Caledonia Middle School at 70.2%. English Language Arts is the bigger challenge, with all grades falling well below state averages, though 8th grade ELA did improve to 28.6% proficient. Overall, Belle-Shivers (ranked 184th of 260 Mississippi middle schools) outperforms Columbus Middle School (227th) despite similar poverty levels, is nearly tied with Okolona Middle School (187th), and trails Nettleton Junior High (155th), Amory Middle School (142nd), Fifth Street School (102nd), and Caledonia Middle School (37th).

One of the most encouraging trends is chronic absenteeism, which has dropped from 41.8% in 2021-2022 to 20.7% in 2023-2024—now below the state average of 23.9% and far better than Amory Middle School (39.0%), Columbus Middle School (31.2%), and Nettleton Junior High (23.7%). This improvement, combined with the low student-teacher ratio and relative success in math, suggests a school with real challenges—especially in reading—but also clear strengths to build on. For parents, Belle-Shivers demonstrates that high poverty does not tell the whole story, and steady gains in attendance and 8th grade performance offer reason for cautious optimism.

266

Students ?

10.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,431

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

518 West Vine Street
Aberdeen, MS 39730

(662) 369-2649

District: Aberdeen School District

Students who attend Belle-Shivers Middle School usually attend:

High:

Aberdeen High School

Feeder schools for Belle-Shivers Middle School:

Elementary:

Aberdeen Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.0%

White:

2.6%

Two or more races:

2.3%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Belle-Shivers Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 25th percentile in 2019 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2019

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (38% vs 52% meeting standards)

!Science scores 19 pts below the Mississippi average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg38%

Mississippi avg52%

184^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 5 pts since 2019

From bottom 25% (2019) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

98^th of 133Aberdeen School District among Mississippi districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2023	25.6	297 of 377	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	314 of 382	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.9	304 of 381	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.9	267 of 397	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	184 of 263	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.4	176 of 266	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.5	184 of 264	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.0	172 of 243	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	183 of 257	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.8	169 of 257	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.3	199 of 264	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science45%-19 vs state

Mathematics40%-13 vs state

English Language Arts32%-14 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Wednesday, March 16, 2022

I worked as a teacher for BSMS in 2019. I have to say it was one of the worst schools I have every worked for. The building was in horrible shape (multiple leaks in my room) and the administration for the most part was not supportive. The discipline is/was an afterthought and overall was just an horrible experience. There are some really good kids and some really good parents that are there but unfortunately the bad overtakes the good at this school and city. Would not recommend working or living here to be honest. Again thats not to say everyone and everything is bad here. I just would not raise a family here or even send my kid for one semester. I can't speak for the elementary school or the high school but this one is avoidable. When I was there it was in a horrible spot. In the 7th grade out of all their students only 3 made their AR goals. This was a school with many talented teachers also. With that said there was some kliqs there that stuck together and would talk about you in a heartbeat. If you happen to work there please watch your back. Anyways I fully would recommend you staying clear of this school if possible. Close Quote

by a citizen
Tuesday, December 10, 2019

This school is failing severely. This school will not protect your child(ren) from bullies, sexual assault/harassment, or anything you wouldn't want your child to experience. Teachers here doesn't have their children attending this school or district because they intentionally fail these children by not educating up to state standards. Only send your child(ren) to school here if you are planning to raise a menace to society. If you would like for your child to obtain the proper education and values of life, I beg you to not jeopardize your child's life by sending them to school here. There is only 1 elementary, 1 middle school, and 1 high school in this district therefore driving outside this district should seriously be considered if you value your child's future and success. Teachers here have no problem playing rap music, usng profanity, and much more you may not want your child involved in. Do not support this school failing our youth giving them no chance at equal education. We should not support paying taxes to keep this school open just to have a failing option as an option. Our children deserve a better chance at life! Close Quote

Schools Near Belle-Shivers Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)				MAAP Mathematics (2026)				MAAP Algebra I (2026)	MAAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
Belle-Shivers Middle School	Public	5-8	518 West Vine Street	Aberdeen	39730	Monroe County	Aberdeen School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 369-2649	266	24	10.8	100.0%	7 (2.6%)	250 (94.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	31	184^th of 263 public middle schools	30.0%		33.4	176^th of 266 public middle schools	33.8%	8	36.6	31.8	30.2	28.6	31.7	48.5	37.2	41.2		47.5	43.4	$19,431
Amory Middle School	Public	6-8	700 2nd Avenue North	Amory	38821	Monroe County	Amory School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 256-5658	348	28	12.5	70.1%	193 (55.5%)	118 (33.9%)	8 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.3%)	44.3	142^nd of 263 public middle schools	46.0%		69.4	78^th of 266 public middle schools	70.7%	64		60.1	37.3	29.5		52.4	50.8	24.3			43.2	$11,703
Fifth Street School	Public	5-7	418 Fifth Street	West Point	39773	Clay County	West Point Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 494-2191	440	42	10.4	85.2%	59 (13.4%)	348 (79.1%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.5%)	56.9	102^nd of 263 public middle schools	61.2%		52.2	124^th of 266 public middle schools	53.4%	22	42.6	33.6	33.3		21.0	65.8	65.4			60.9		$12,834
Caledonia Middle School	Public	6-8	105 Confederate Drive	Caledonia	39740	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 356-2042	487	35	13.8	46.4%	365 (74.9%)	84 (17.2%)	21 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.3%)	83.3	37^th of 263 public middle schools	85.9%		81.2	41^st of 266 public middle schools	84.6%	4		60.0	47.1	51.1		63.1	73.2	70.2	97.2		68.5	$10,029
Okolona Middle School	Public	6-8	404 Howard Gunn Street	Okolona	38860	Chickasaw County	Okolona School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 447-2362	125	11	10.9	100.0%	8 (6.4%)	112 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	30.7	187^th of 263 public middle schools	28.9%		28.9	189^th of 266 public middle schools	28.9%	2		28.9	37.5	19.5		39.4	43.7	29.2			56.1	$13,972
Nettleton Junior High	Public	6-8	1532 Maple Road	Nettleton	38858	Itawamba County	Nettleton School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(662) 963-7400	243	18	13.5	80.7%	143 (58.8%)	58 (23.9%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (14.4%)	40	155^th of 263 public middle schools	41.1%		41	161^st of 266 public middle schools	39.5%	6		33.3	37.4	14.5		61.1	57.8	27.6			50.0	$10,338
Columbus Middle School	Public	7-8	175 Hwy 373	Columbus	39705	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7300	597	51	11.6	99.7%	13 (2.2%)	556 (93.1%)	14 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.0%)	17.5	229^th of 263 public middle schools	12.9%		12	244^th of 266 public middle schools	8.3%	15			22.7	25.3			30.8	32.7			37.1	$13,549

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle-Shivers Middle School

Is Belle-Shivers Middle School a good school?

Belle-Shivers Middle School ranks 184^th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Belle-Shivers Middle School in?

Aberdeen School District

What high school do graduates of Belle-Shivers Middle School attend?

Students who attend Belle-Shivers Middle School usually go on to attend Aberdeen High School

How many students attend Belle-Shivers Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 266 students attended Belle-Shivers Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Belle-Shivers Middle School?

Students at Belle-Shivers Middle School are 94% African American, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 26, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesSep 23, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Mississippi Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.