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Northwest Middle School

Q: Is Northwest Middle School a good school?

Northwest Middle School ranks 31 st of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

31^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 88% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Northwest Middle School in Jackson, MS, is a high-performing public school serving 242 students in grades 6–8 within the Jackson Public Schools district — a district that overall earns just 1 star, yet Northwest ranks 31st of 260 Mississippi middle schools (88th percentile, 4 stars), placing it in the top 12% statewide.

This is not a typical school. In the most recent testing year, Northwest outperformed the district and state in every single grade and subject. For example, 8th grade science proficiency was 87.3%, compared to just 30.7% districtwide and 57.8% statewide, and the Algebra I pass rate was an impressive 96.2% versus 42.7% for the district. The contrast with neighboring same-district schools is stark: while Cardozo Middle School, Kirksey Middle School, Blackburn Middle School, and Powell Middle School rank near the bottom of the state, Northwest outperforms them by 2.5 to nearly 5 times in key subjects. Northwest also competes with schools from wealthier districts, beating Old Town Middle School (Madison County Schools) and matching top-5 ranked Clinton Junior High School (Clinton Public School District) in 8th grade ELA and science.

What makes this even more remarkable is that 100% of Northwest students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — a demographic where high achievement is rare. The school maintains a strong 10.3:1 student-teacher ratio and historically low chronic absenteeism (15.5% vs. 41.9% districtwide). It also shares a campus with Bailey APAC Middle School, another top-performing school. Rankings have been consistently elite, from #9 in 2022–2023 to #31 today. The main area to watch is 7th grade ELA (46.4% proficiency), but overall Northwest is a proven, standout option in Jackson.

242

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,264

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7020 Highway 49 North
Jackson, MS 39213

(601) 987-3609

District: Jackson Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.5%

Hispanic:

3.3%

White:

0.8%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (68% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Mississippi middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Jackson Public Schools

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school68%

District avg28%

Mississippi avg51%

31^st of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7Middle Schools in the Jackson Public Schools

109^th of 133Jackson Public Schools 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	85.3	31 of 263	88.2%	★★★★☆
2025	83.7	28 of 266	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	89.3	20 of 264	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	9 of 243	96.3%	★★★★★
2022	76.9	51 of 257	80.2%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	79 of 257	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	90.2	15 of 264	94.3%	★★★★★
2018	78.1	48 of 252	81.0%	★★★★☆
2017	84.3	36 of 272	86.8%	★★★★☆
2016	88.2	21 of 260	91.9%	★★★★★
2015	96.3	7 of 266	97.4%	★★★★★
2014	97.8	1 of 264	99.6%	★★★★★
2013	96.4	1 of 269	99.6%	★★★★★
2012	29.2	203 of 270	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.5	210 of 264	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.0	196 of 255	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.1	165 of 247	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	31.5	178 of 244	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I96%+30 vs state

Science87%+30 vs state

Mathematics63%+10 vs state

English Language Arts63%+21 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Northwest 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 Algebra I (2026)	MAAP Science (2026)		MAAP Biology (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 4th Grade	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 4th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	7020 Highway 49 North	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 987-3609	242	23	10.3	100.0%	2 (0.8%)	231 (95.5%)	8 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	85.3	31^st of 263 public middle schools	88.2%		83.7	28^th of 266 public middle schools	89.5%	3			66.3	46.4	78.9			59.0	66.6	64.8	96.2		87.3		$19,264
Bailey APAC Middle School	Public	4-8	1900 North State Street	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 320-1887	318	28	11.4	99.1%	23 (7.2%)	288 (90.6%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	83.7	34^th of 263 public middle schools	87.1%		86.5	22^nd of 266 public middle schools	91.7%	12	70.6	85.7	58.7	49.6	62.8	47.1	53.6	64.8	76.6	68.6	95.3	96.4	59.8		$15,604
Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	3655 Livingston Road	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 228-0042	704	56	12.5	99.6%	6 (0.9%)	685 (97.3%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2	262^nd of 263 public middle schools	0.4%		4.9	259^th of 266 public middle schools	2.6%	3			13.9	9.1	8.4			11.1	11.7	7.8			17.5		$16,140
Clinton Junior High School	Public	7-8	711 Lakeview Drive	Clinton	39056	Hinds County	Clinton Public School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 924-0619	862	59	14.7	44.4%	281 (32.6%)	487 (56.5%)	32 (3.7%)	46 (5.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.6%)	93.4	5^th of 263 public middle schools	98.1%		93.9	4^th of 266 public middle schools	98.5%	1				55.9	59.5				73.9	83.7	100.0		77.0		$9,209
Kirksey Middle School	Public	6-8	5677 Highland Drive	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 228-0028	389	30	12.7	100.0%	8 (2.1%)	340 (87.4%)	33 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	6.1	256^th of 263 public middle schools	2.7%		15.6	233^rd of 266 public middle schools	12.4%	23			17.5	11.7	21.7			23.0	23.7	9.3	85.7		24.7		$17,184
Smilow Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	787 E Northside Dr.	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Joel E. Smilow Prep	Yes	No	No	Yes	(769) 524-5330	521	26	20.0	99.8%	1 (0.2%)	515 (98.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	7.5	254^th of 263 public middle schools	3.4%		16.5	228^th of 266 public middle schools	14.3%	26		40.8	28.7	15.5	18.1		23.6	23.8	14.5	19.6		40.3	23.0		$12,327
Lovett Elementary School	Public	6	2002 W. Northside Drive	Clinton	39056	Hinds County	Clinton Public School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 924-5664	375	24	15.6	46.1%	109 (29.1%)	207 (55.2%)	14 (3.7%)	33 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (2.9%)								(n/a)			66.0					82.8							$9,256
Blackburn Middle School	Public	6-8	1311 West Pearl Street	Jackson	39203	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5329	317	43	7.3	99.7%	2 (0.6%)	310 (97.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	4	260^th of 263 public middle schools	1.1%		4.6	260^th of 266 public middle schools	2.3%				15.1	9.7	18.5			11.0	16.6	15.6	91.6		21.9		$16,571
Cardozo Middle School	Public	6-8	3180 McDowell Road Ext.	Jackson	39204	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 346-5635	531	51	10.4	100.0%	9 (1.7%)	498 (93.8%)	21 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	6.6	255^th of 263 public middle schools	3.0%		5.2	256^th of 266 public middle schools	3.8%	1			25.2	11.4	17.4			16.4	13.0	19.2			32.4		$15,290
Old Town Middle School	Public	6-8	210 Sunnybrook Road	Ridgeland	39157	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 898-8730	693	58	11.8	75.6%	53 (7.6%)	435 (62.8%)	169 (24.4%)	25 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.6%)	65.3	81^st of 263 public middle schools	69.2%					(n/a)			51.0	40.7	46.2			45.0	61.2	61.2	100.0		58.8	100.0	$13,231

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Middle School

How many students attend Northwest Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 242 students attended Northwest Middle School.

Is Northwest Middle School a good school?

Northwest Middle School ranks 31^st of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Middle School?

Students at Northwest Middle School are 95% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Northwest Middle School in?

Jackson Public Schools

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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.