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Desoto Central Middle School

Q: Is Desoto Central Middle School a good school?

Desoto Central Middle School ranks 52 nd of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

52^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 80% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

DeSoto Central Middle School is a large public school in Southaven, MS, serving 1,388 students in grades 6–8 as part of the DeSoto County School District. The school has a strong academic history, having been ranked the #1 middle school in Mississippi for two consecutive years (2015–2016 and 2016–2017). While its state ranking has gradually slipped over the past decade—currently placing 52nd out of 260 schools—it still earns a 4-star rating and consistently scores above both district and state averages across nearly all subjects.

Mathematics is a clear signature strength. In 2025–2026, 7th and 8th grade math proficiency reached 71.8% and 71.2%, respectively, far exceeding state averages. Chronic absenteeism is also a positive, with an 18.0% rate that is well below the district (26.4%) and state (23.9%), and the lowest among same-district middle schools. ELA proficiency, while above state averages, trails high-performing neighbors like Lewisburg Middle School and Hernando Middle School—a gap the school could close to climb back into the top tiers.

The school faces some notable challenges. Its 17.5:1 student-teacher ratio is the highest among nearby district schools, suggesting larger class sizes. Economically, about 42% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch—higher than Lewisburg Middle School (21.8%) and Hernando Middle School (27.0%), but far lower than Southaven Middle School (64.5%). Despite these factors, DeSoto Central outperforms Southaven Middle by a wide margin in both math and ELA, underscoring how school leadership and curriculum can make a significant difference within the same district.

1,388

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,390

Per pupil spending ?

41.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

2611 Central Parkway
Southaven, MS 38672

(662) 349-6660

District: Desoto County School District

Students who attend Desoto Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Desoto Central High School

Feeder schools for Desoto Central Middle School:

Elementary:	DeSoto Central Elementary
	DeSoto Central Primary School
	Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.9%

White:

31.1%

Hispanic:

8.8%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Desoto Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 100th percentile in 2016 → 80th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (59% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 20% of Mississippi middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg54%

Mississippi avg49%

52^nd of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 20%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 1% (2016) to top 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	77.6	52 of 263	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	83.8	27 of 265	89.8%	★★★★★
2024	89.2	22 of 259	91.5%	★★★★★
2023	90.7	14 of 228	93.9%	★★★★★
2022	91.1	15 of 233	93.6%	★★★★★
2021	91.5	13 of 229	94.3%	★★★★★
2019	91.9	8 of 223	96.4%	★★★★★
2018	94.3	7 of 211	96.7%	★★★★★
2017	97.3	1 of 272	99.6%	★★★★★
2016	98.2	1 of 260	99.6%	★★★★★
2015	99.5	1 of 266	99.6%	★★★★★
2014	94.0	2 of 264	99.2%	★★★★★
2013	95.3	3 of 269	98.9%	★★★★★
2012	90.0	19 of 270	93.0%	★★★★★
2011	84.5	24 of 264	90.9%	★★★★★
2010	87.8	19 of 255	92.5%	★★★★★
2009	91.7	9 of 247	96.4%	★★★★★
2008	93.7	5 of 244	98.0%	★★★★★

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics66%+12 vs state

Science64%+6 vs state

English Language Arts50%+8 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Desoto Central 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
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 265 public middle schools	89.8%	25		52.2	44.8	53.3		56.4	71.8	71.2		63.5	$8,390
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	191^st of 265 public middle schools	27.9%	13		33.8	24.6	24.3		32.3	39.4	40.0		48.6	$8,677
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	182^nd of 265 public middle schools	31.3%	25		36.1	24.2	38.3		44.5	50.1	47.6		50.0	$10,409
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	145^th of 265 public middle schools	45.3%	15		39.2	36.9	33.4		50.0	65.7	46.1		40.8	$10,305
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 265 public middle schools	97.4%	13		56.8	48.0	59.7		64.6	82.2	86.9		76.6	$8,420
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 265 public middle schools	98.1%	3		68.6	60.0	59.1		85.9	90.9	86.0		74.3	$8,733
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 265 public middle schools	84.2%	11		50.9	42.6	47.4		58.0	74.6	70.3		67.4	$8,783
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	141^st of 265 public middle schools	46.8%	5		41.0	29.1	36.4		42.0	53.6	54.3		52.7	$10,332
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	—	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	208^th of 265 public middle schools	21.5%	30	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 Desoto Central Middle School

Is Desoto Central Middle School a good school?

Desoto Central Middle School ranks 52^nd of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Desoto Central Middle School in?

Desoto County School District

What high school do graduates of Desoto Central Middle School attend?

Students who attend Desoto Central Middle School usually go on to attend Desoto Central High School

How many students attend Desoto Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,388 students attended Desoto Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Desoto Central Middle School?

Students at Desoto Central Middle School are 48% African American, 31% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

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Schools in Southaven, MS

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 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.