Simmons Junior High School

Simmons Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Hollandale School District in Hollandale, MS. With 122 students, the school is ranked 170 out of 266 middle schools in Mississippi and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, the Hollandale School District as a whole is ranked 101 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

Simmons Junior High School faces several key challenges. The school has seen concerning trends of high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.4% to 23.9% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's test scores on the MAAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program) exams are generally below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts ranged from 18.2% to 41.2%, compared to the state average of 37.3% to 46.7%, and in Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 25% to 50%, compared to the state average of 47.5% to 52.9%. Furthermore, Simmons Junior High School has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating that the student population comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When comparing Simmons Junior High School to the nearby Greenville Public Schools and Leland School District, it becomes evident that Simmons is performing at a lower level academically. Schools such as T.L. Weston Middle School and Leland School Park have higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates, despite also serving economically disadvantaged student populations. Simmons Junior High School's consistent underperformance, with a 2-star rating for the past two school years, suggests the need for targeted interventions and support to help improve student outcomes and close the achievement gap with nearby schools.