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Nichols Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

248^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 6% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Nichols Middle School serves 362 students in grades 6-8 in Canton, Mississippi, as part of the Canton Public Schools district, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Academically, the school is currently ranked 246th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools (5th percentile, 0 stars), with proficiency rates in math, ELA, and science running anywhere from 15 to 31 percentage points below state averages in most grades and subjects.

The most useful comparison for parents may be Huey L Porter Middle, the other middle school in Canton Public Schools, located just 3.12 miles away with nearly identical enrollment (356 students) and the same 100% free/reduced lunch rate. Despite these similarities, Huey L Porter ranks 100th in the state (62nd percentile, 3 stars) versus Nichols' 246th — a 146-rank gap. In 7th grade math, 60.7% of Huey L Porter students are proficient versus just 26.6% at Nichols. The contrast with nearby Madison County Schools is even starker: Madison Middle is ranked #1 in the state with 88.0% proficiency in 8th grade math, and Germantown Middle (6.5 miles away) ranks 7th with 71.2% proficiency in 6th grade ELA.

The most actionable warning sign is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 37.4% for 2023-24 — meaning more than one in three students misses a substantial number of school days. That's well above the district rate of 26.4%, the state rate of 23.9%, and Huey L Porter's 23.2%. On a more positive note, 8th grade science has been a relative strength at 34.1% proficiency, and the student-teacher ratio of 12.9 shows class size is not the underlying issue. These factors suggest that improving attendance and strengthening instructional support are the most promising paths forward for Nichols.

362

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,831

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

529 North Mace Street
Canton, MS 39046

(601) 859-3741

District: Canton Public Schools

Students who attend Nichols Middle School usually attend:

High:

Canton High School

Feeder schools for Nichols Middle School:

Elementary:	Canton Elementary School
	Jimmie M Goodloe Elementary
	McNeal Elementary School
	Reuben B. Myers Arts & Sciences

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.7%

Hispanic:

17.1%

Two or more races:

3.3%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 9th percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Mississippi average (25% vs 49% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (56% vs 28% Mississippi)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg37%

Mississippi avg49%

248^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 9% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Canton Public Schools

74^th of 133Canton Public Schools 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	11.3	248 of 263	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.6	218 of 265	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	239 of 259	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	197 of 228	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.2	139 of 233	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	13.3	202 of 229	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	216 of 223	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.8	206 of 211	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	14.8	234 of 272	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.6	237 of 260	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	15.0	239 of 266	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	31.5	188 of 264	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.8	195 of 269	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.5	178 of 270	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.7	172 of 264	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	15.2	230 of 255	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	15.2	215 of 247	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	5.8	244 of 244	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science34%-24 vs state

Mathematics25%-29 vs state

English Language Arts22%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nichols 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)		MAAP Biology (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	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Nichols Middle School	Public	6-8	529 North Mace Street	Canton	39046	Madison County	Canton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 859-3741	362	28	12.9	100.0%	2 (0.6%)	285 (78.7%)	62 (17.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	11.3	248^th of 263 public middle schools	5.7%		17.6	218^th of 265 public middle schools	17.7%	30		21.8	23.4	20.0		24.2	26.6	25.2			34.1		$11,831
Huey L Porter Middle	Public	6-8	551 Finney Road	Canton	39046	Madison County	Canton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 407-1820	356	27	13.0	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	255 (71.6%)	65 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.8%)	58.2	100^th of 263 public middle schools	62.0%		59.7	109^th of 265 public middle schools	58.9%	9		40.2	44.7	47.4		42.0	60.7	57.3			52.1		$12,435
Germantown Middle	Public	6-8	439 Calhoun Station Parkway	Madison	39110	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 859-0376	1,008	71	14.1	28.6%	533 (52.9%)	389 (38.6%)	27 (2.7%)	45 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.3%)	92.4	7^th of 263 public middle schools	97.3%		91.6	10^th of 265 public middle schools	96.2%	3		71.2	57.4	64.6		70.3	78.9	69.3	99.1		78.2	94.2	$10,272
Madison Middle School	Public	6-8	1365 Mannsdale Road	Madison	39110	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 605-4171	1,180	96	12.2	25.2%	739 (62.6%)	292 (24.7%)	34 (2.9%)	100 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.3%)	98.1	1^st of 263 public middle schools	99.6%		97.9	1^st of 265 public middle schools	99.6%			79.0	71.0	73.9		84.3	90.3	88.0	100.0		86.2	100.0	$12,017
Old Town Middle School	Public	6-8	210 Sunnybrook Road	Ridgeland	39157	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 898-8730	693	58	11.8	75.6%	53 (7.6%)	435 (62.8%)	169 (24.4%)	25 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.6%)	65.3	81^st of 263 public middle schools	69.2%					(n/a)		51.0	40.7	46.2		45.0	61.2	61.2	100.0		58.8	100.0	$13,231
Shirley D. Simmons Middle School	Public	6-8	820 Sulphur Springs Road	Canton	39046	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 855-2406	124	19	6.3	94.4%	0 (0.0%)	121 (97.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	56.4	106^th of 263 public middle schools	59.7%		56.7	117^th of 265 public middle schools	55.8%	11		40.5	25.1	47.8		50.0	62.5	36.9			84.7		$21,745
Kirksey Middle School	Public	6-8	5677 Highland Drive	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 228-0028	389	30	12.7	100.0%	8 (2.1%)	340 (87.4%)	33 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	6.1	256^th of 263 public middle schools	2.7%		15.6	232^nd of 265 public middle schools	12.5%	24		17.5	11.7	21.7		23.0	23.7	9.3	85.7		24.7		$17,184
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	5805 Hwy 25	Flowood	39232	Rankin County	Rankin County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 992-1329	1,352	110	12.2	38.2%	705 (52.1%)	444 (32.8%)	71 (5.3%)	46 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (6.4%)	78.7	48^th of 263 public middle schools	81.7%		83.7	29^th of 265 public middle schools	89.1%	19		61.0	43.2	52.7		71.7	64.6	53.5	100.0		67.9		$11,126
Smilow Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	787 E Northside Dr.	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Joel E. Smilow Prep	Yes	No	No	Yes	(769) 524-5330	521	26	20.0	99.8%	1 (0.2%)	515 (98.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	7.5	254^th of 263 public middle schools	3.4%		16.5	227^th of 265 public middle schools	14.3%	27	40.8	28.7	15.5	18.1	23.6	23.8	14.5	19.6		40.3	23.0		$12,327

Frequently Asked Questions about Nichols Middle School

What district is Nichols Middle School in?

Canton Public Schools

How many students attend Nichols Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 362 students attended Nichols Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Nichols Middle School?

Students at Nichols Middle School are 79% African American, 17% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Is Nichols Middle School a good school?

Nichols Middle School ranks in the bottom 5.7% of Mississippi middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Nichols Middle School attend?

Students who attend Nichols Middle School usually go on to attend Canton High School

Rate Nichols Middle School!

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

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

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.