Crystal Springs Middle School

Crystal Springs Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 5-8 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, with 368 students and a student-teacher ratio of around 14:1. The school is part of the Copiah County School District, which is ranked 59 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a moderately-ranked district, Crystal Springs Middle School faces significant challenges. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.7% to 26.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's test scores on the MAAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program) exams are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 14.3% to 45.7% in English Language Arts and 13.4% to 37.8% in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 37.3% to 55.9% and 47.5% to 55.5%, respectively. Furthermore, 100% of students at Crystal Springs Middle School are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Crystal Springs Middle School to nearby schools, such as Florence Middle School, Byram Middle School, and Hazlehurst Middle School, it becomes clear that Crystal Springs is underperforming significantly. These nearby schools have higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and lower percentages of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Crystal Springs Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Mississippi middle schools over the past several years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to address the root causes of the school's struggles.