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Hernando Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

20^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 92% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Hernando Middle School is a grades 6–8 school in Hernando, Mississippi, serving 1,183 students in the DeSoto County School District. For the 2025–2026 school year, it is ranked 20th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools, placing it in the 92nd percentile with a 5-star rating. This isn't a one-year fluke — the school has been elite for a decade, including a #1 ranking in 2021–2022. It outperforms its district and the state in every subject and grade level on the MAAP exams. However, its rank has slipped from #1 to #20 in recent years, a trend worth watching.

Hernando Middle is a math powerhouse. In 8th-grade math, 86.9% of students are proficient, which is 35.5 percentage points above the state average and slightly ahead of Lewisburg Middle School, the highest-ranked middle school in the area. Science is also a standout at 76.6% proficiency in 8th grade. ELA is solid but less dominant — the weakest area is 7th-grade ELA at 48% proficiency, which is still 11.3 points above the state. Hernando also has lower chronic absenteeism (20.1%) than the district (26.4%) and state (23.9%). Its student-teacher ratio of 17.1 is higher than several nearby schools, meaning these strong results aren't simply a matter of smaller classes.

Compared to nearby schools, Hernando's free/reduced lunch rate of about 27% is far lower than most peers, with only Lewisburg Middle School having a lower rate. The school consistently outperforms many neighboring middle schools, including Center Hill Middle School, DeSoto Central Middle School, and Olive Branch Middle School, which sit at lower percentiles. Hernando also beats Lewisburg in 8th-grade math, science, and ELA. The main challenges are strengthening 7th-grade ELA and regaining its former #1 status, but Hernando remains one of the strongest middle schools in the region.

1,183

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,420

Per pupil spending ?

27%

Free/discounted lunch ?

805 Dilworth Lane
Hernando, MS 38632

(662) 429-4154

District: Desoto County School District

Students who attend Hernando Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hernando High School

Feeder schools for Hernando Middle School:

Elementary:	Hernando Elementary School
	Hernando Hills Elementary
	Oak Grove Central Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.7%

African American:

10.9%

Hispanic:

9.7%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Hernando Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2016 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (68% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Mississippi middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Desoto County School District

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school68%

District avg54%

Mississippi avg49%

20^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 8%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 3% (2016) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 8Middle Schools in the Desoto County School District

45^th of 133Desoto County School District 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	88.9	20 of 263	92.4%	★★★★★
2025	92.7	7 of 266	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	93.8	7 of 264	97.3%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	3 of 243	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	97.0	1 of 257	99.6%	★★★★★
2021	97.5	2 of 257	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	96.5	2 of 264	99.2%	★★★★★
2018	95.0	4 of 252	98.4%	★★★★★
2017	93.0	9 of 272	96.7%	★★★★★
2016	94.8	7 of 260	97.3%	★★★★★
2015	94.9	8 of 266	97.0%	★★★★★
2014	86.3	17 of 264	93.6%	★★★★★
2013	93.1	6 of 269	97.8%	★★★★★
2012	89.2	20 of 270	92.6%	★★★★★
2011	86.6	21 of 264	92.0%	★★★★★
2010	78.2	42 of 255	83.5%	★★★★☆
2009	87.7	19 of 247	92.3%	★★★★★
2008	86.4	19 of 244	92.2%	★★★★★

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics78%+24 vs state

Science77%+19 vs state

English Language Arts55%+13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hernando 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 Science (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 Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
Hernando Middle School	Public	6-8	805 Dilworth Lane	Hernando	38632	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 429-4154	1,183	69	17.1	27.0%	872 (73.7%)	129 (10.9%)	115 (9.7%)	10 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (4.7%)	88.9	20^th of 263 public middle schools	92.4%		92.7	7^th of 266 public middle schools	97.4%	13		56.8	48.0	59.7		64.6	82.2	86.9		76.6	$8,420
Desoto Central Middle School	Public	6-8	2611 Central Parkway	Southaven	38672	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 349-6660	1,388	79	17.5	41.9%	432 (31.1%)	665 (47.9%)	122 (8.8%)	59 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	106 (7.6%)	77.6	52^nd of 263 public middle schools	80.2%		83.8	27^th of 266 public middle schools	89.8%	25		52.2	44.8	53.3		56.4	71.8	71.2		63.5	$8,390
Horn Lake Middle School	Public	6-8	6125 Hurt Road	Horn Lake	38637	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 393-7443	948	65	14.6	71.0%	102 (10.8%)	692 (73.0%)	109 (11.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.2%)	39.8	157^th of 263 public middle schools	40.3%		30.7	183^rd of 266 public middle schools	31.2%	26		36.1	24.2	38.3		44.5	50.1	47.6		50.0	$10,409
Lewisburg Middle School	Public	6-8	2605 Highway 305 S	Hernando	38632	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 892-5050	996	59	16.8	21.8%	753 (75.6%)	114 (11.4%)	64 (6.4%)	17 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (4.7%)	95.2	2^nd of 263 public middle schools	99.2%		93.2	5^th of 266 public middle schools	98.1%	3		68.6	60.0	59.1		85.9	90.9	86.0		74.3	$8,733
Southaven Middle School	Public	6-8	899 Rasco Road W	Southaven	38671	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 280-0422	1,423	89	15.9	64.5%	216 (15.2%)	873 (61.3%)	239 (16.8%)	15 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	77 (5.4%)	25.6	204^th of 263 public middle schools	22.4%		28.6	192^nd of 266 public middle schools	27.8%	12		33.8	24.6	24.3		32.3	39.4	40.0		48.6	$8,677
Lake Cormorant Middle School	Public	6-8	3203 Wilson Mill Road W	Lake Cormorant	38641	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 781-0778	707	46	15.2	68.9%	250 (35.4%)	315 (44.6%)	93 (13.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (6.2%)	45.6	136^th of 263 public middle schools	48.3%		46.8	142^nd of 266 public middle schools	46.6%	6		41.0	29.1	36.4		42.0	53.6	54.3		52.7	$10,332
Olive Branch Middle School	Public	6-8	6530 S. Blocker Street	Olive Branch	38654	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 895-4610	744	44	16.7	62.6%	214 (28.8%)	391 (52.6%)	94 (12.6%)	12 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.4%)	47.3	130^th of 263 public middle schools	50.6%		45.7	146^th of 266 public middle schools	45.1%	16		39.2	36.9	33.4		50.0	65.7	46.1		40.8	$10,305
Senatobia Middle School	Public	6-8	303 College Street	Senatobia	38668	Tate County	Senatobia Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 562-4621	407	26	15.7	65.4%	167 (41.0%)	201 (49.4%)	24 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	50.4	127^th of 263 public middle schools	51.7%		51.7	125^th of 266 public middle schools	53.0%	2		51.4	36.5	34.6		54.7	54.2	48.5		43.2	$9,645
Center Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	8756 Forest Hill Irene	Olive Branch	38654	DeSoto County	Desoto County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 892-6800	757	46	16.4	46.6%	261 (34.5%)	365 (48.2%)	72 (9.5%)	25 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (4.4%)	77.4	53^rd of 263 public middle schools	79.8%		81.2	42^nd of 266 public middle schools	84.2%	11		50.9	42.6	47.4		58.0	74.6	70.3		67.4	$8,783
Byhalia Middle School	Public	5-8	172 Highway 309 North	Byhalia	38611	Marshall County	Marshall County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 838-2591	438	27	16.1	99.3%	103 (23.5%)	162 (37.0%)	144 (32.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.6%)	32	178^th of 263 public middle schools	32.3%		24.1	209^th of 266 public middle schools	21.4%	31	44.1	36.6	27.7	32.7	21.6	23.8	38.0	39.8	53.7	57.0	$9,909

Frequently Asked Questions about Hernando Middle School

What high school do graduates of Hernando Middle School attend?

Students who attend Hernando Middle School usually go on to attend Hernando High School

Is Hernando Middle School a good school?

Yes. Hernando Middle School ranks in the top 7.6% of Mississippi middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Hernando Middle School?

Students at Hernando Middle School are 74% White, 11% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Hernando Middle School in?

Desoto County School District

How many students attend Hernando Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,183 students attended Hernando Middle School.

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

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

2023–24 graduation ratesSep 23, 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.