Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School serves 329 students in grades 6 through 8 in Columbia, Mississippi, and is part of the Columbia School District, which holds a strong 4-star rating and ranks 31st out of 134 districts statewide. Jefferson itself ranks 131st out of 260 Mississippi middle schools, placing it right at the statewide median with a 2-star rating. That makes it the highest-ranked of the three nearby middle school options: East Marion Middle School ranks 207th (1 star) and West Marion Middle School ranks 152nd (2 stars).

In the 2025-2026 MAAP assessments, Jefferson outperforms East Marion in every subject and grade level and beats West Marion in six of eight comparable grade-subject combinations. For example, its 6th-grade ELA proficiency is 37.4% versus 30.5% at East Marion and 33.3% at West Marion, while its 7th-grade math proficiency is 49.6% compared to 32.5% and 33.3% at the two Marion schools. The notable exception is West Marion's striking 8th-grade math score of 70.4%, well above Jefferson's 45.0% and the state's 51.4%. Jefferson also slightly trails West Marion in 8th-grade science (55.0% vs. 56.8%). Relative to the state, Jefferson is below average in most subjects, though its 7th- and 8th-grade ELA scores meet or exceed the state average.

The most serious concern is chronic absenteeism, which has more than tripled since 2018-2019 — rising from 13.8% to 42.0% in 2023-2024, nearly double the district average and well above the state's 23.9%. This likely explains recent test score declines, including 6th-grade ELA falling from 50.4% to 37.4% over the past few years. On a more positive note, Jefferson has a favorable 12.0 student-teacher ratio, lower than either nearby school, and its free/reduced lunch rate of 72% is well below East Marion's 97.9% and West Marion's 99.15%. With a stronger district, smaller class sizes, and a less economically disadvantaged student body, Jefferson has clear advantages — but reducing chronic absenteeism will be key to turning those advantages into stronger academic outcomes.