Alexander Junior High

Alexander Junior High is a 7th–8th grade middle school in Brookhaven, MS, serving 340 students in the Brookhaven School District. The district is ranked 70th out of 134 districts in Mississippi, placing it in the middle of the state. However, the school itself has seen a sharp decline, dropping from a 3-star rating (55th percentile) two years ago to a 1-star rating (26th percentile) in its most recent state ranking (192nd out of 260 middle schools). The school serves a high-poverty population, with 82.65% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, though the student-teacher ratio is a comparatively favorable 12:1.

One of the most striking findings is the divide in math performance. While students in advanced Algebra I courses consistently score near-perfect on end-of-course exams (92.9% to 100% proficient), grade-level math proficiency is much weaker, falling from 64.8% to 33.1% in 8th grade over the past two years. English Language Arts scores have also slid, with 8th grade ELA dropping from 40.8% to 25.3% and 7th grade ELA falling to 24.2%. This performance trails comparable nearby schools, such as Rod Paige Middle School, which outpaces Alexander in nearly every subject despite having a much higher chronic absenteeism rate (35.1% vs 18.4%) and a similar poverty rate.

On a positive note, Alexander's chronic absenteeism rate of 18.4% is better than the state average (23.9%), its district average (22.3%), and nearby middle schools like Hazlehurst Middle School (31.4%) and Rod Paige Middle School (35.1%). Another concern is the transition from its same-district feeder school, Lipsey Middle School, where 5th and 6th grade ELA proficiency is around 42-45%, suggesting students may lose momentum upon entering Alexander, where 7th and 8th grade ELA falls to roughly 25%. In summary, Alexander Junior High has some solid building blocks, including good attendance and strong advanced-math instruction, but the recent two-year, across-the-board decline in core subjects indicates the school is currently underperforming relative to its potential and its peers.