Leake Central Junior High School

Leake Central Junior High is a public middle school located in Carthage, Mississippi, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 383 students. The school is part of the Leake County School District, which is ranked 99 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past several years, Leake Central Junior High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Mississippi middle schools, typically in the range of 185-221 out of 243-266 schools.

Leake Central Junior High has faced several challenges that have contributed to its low academic performance. The school has had consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.4% to 28.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's academic performance, as measured by MAAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program) test scores, is consistently below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates around 30% or lower in English Language Arts and Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 37.3% to 52.9%. Leake Central Junior High also has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating that the student population comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When comparing Leake Central Junior High to nearby schools, such as Choctaw Central Middle School and Shirley D. Simmons Middle School, the differences in academic performance become more apparent. While Choctaw Central Middle School also serves a high-poverty population, it has significantly better test scores and a lower student-teacher ratio. Shirley D. Simmons Middle School, which is part of the higher-performing Madison County School District, has much higher academic achievement across all subject areas and grade levels, with proficiency rates often exceeding 50%. These comparisons highlight the need for targeted interventions and support to address the underlying factors contributing to Leake Central Junior High's poor performance.