Port Gibson Middle School

Port Gibson Middle School is a small public school in Port Gibson, Mississippi, serving 223 students in grades 6 through 8 as part of the Claiborne County Public Schools district, where every single student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school currently ranks in the 5th percentile statewide (247 out of 260), a steep drop from its 2022–2023 performance when it reached the 31st percentile and earned 2 stars.

Academic proficiency is well below state averages across nearly every subject. Only about 19–23% of students are proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 37–48% statewide, and math proficiency is even more concerning at 14–24% versus 51–58% statewide. In the most recent year, Port Gibson trails nearby Jefferson County Middle School by wide margins in 8th grade, including 23.0% vs. 35.5% in ELA and 21.9% vs. 42.1% in math. Chronic absenteeism is a major issue, affecting 30.7% of students — nearly double the 16.0% rate at Jefferson County and above the state average of 23.9%. On a more positive note, the student-teacher ratio has improved to 10:1, which is better than Jefferson County's 12.6:1 and suggests a recent investment in additional teaching staff.

There are some bright spots to build on. Eighth grade science has outperformed the state average twice in the past four years, including a 67% proficiency rate in 2022–2023 and 55.9% in 2024–2025, though the latest year dipped to 43.3%. The school's small size means a single cohort of students can cause large year-to-year swings, which explains some of the volatility. The improved staffing ratio shows promise, but reducing chronic absenteeism and providing targeted math intervention are the most urgent priorities if the school is to reverse its current downward trajectory.