Hawkins Middle School

Hawkins Middle School is a public school in Forest, Mississippi, serving approximately 460 students in grades 5–8 as part of the Forest Municipal School District. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 83.9% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and maintains a student–teacher ratio of 13.7 to 1, which is more favorable than some nearby schools.

Hawkins has experienced a sharp and sustained decline in its state ranking over the past decade, falling from the 34th percentile in 2016–2017 to the 8th percentile for 2025–2026. Academic proficiency trails state averages in nearly every subject and grade. For example, just 19.4% of 8th graders are proficient in math, compared to the state average of 51.4%, and only 15.7% of 7th graders are proficient in English Language Arts. The most striking comparison is with Lake Middle School, just 7 miles away, which serves an even higher-poverty student body (98.7% free/reduced lunch) yet ranks in the 74th percentile. Lake outperforms Hawkins in every subject, including 8th grade math (74.2% vs. 19.4%) and 5th grade science (73.9% vs. 39.9%). This gap suggests poverty alone does not explain Hawkins's results — school-level factors like instruction, curriculum, and leadership are likely playing a significant role.

There are some bright spots. Hawkins's chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% is better than the state average of 23.9%, and its 8th grade science proficiency (50.0%) is close to the state average (57.8%). The school also outperforms N H Pilate Middle School in several categories, including 6th grade math and 8th grade science. However, student performance declines as students advance from 5th to 8th grade, suggesting they are losing academic ground rather than building on prior learning. With a favorable student–teacher ratio and a nearby model for improvement at Lake Middle School, Hawkins has a path forward, but the steep recent decline and especially low 8th grade math results demand urgent attention.