Eiland Middle

Eiland Middle is a public school in Louisville, Mississippi, serving 308 students in grades 6 through 8 as part of the Louisville Municipal School District. The school currently holds a 1-star rating, ranking 196th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools — placing it in the bottom quarter of the state, even though its district overall earns a 3-star rating and ranks near the middle of Mississippi districts. Eiland Middle serves a high-poverty student population, with 100% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch in recent years, and the student-to-teacher ratio has risen from 13.1 to 17.4 over the past year, which may mean larger class sizes and less individual attention.

Academically, Eiland Middle shows a striking "math strong, ELA weak" pattern. In the most recent testing, 7th grade math proficiency reached 52.9% — actually above the district average of 51.0% — and 6th grade math came within a few points of the state average. By contrast, English Language Arts scores are well below state averages in every grade, with 7th grade ELA particularly concerning: only 14.8% of students are proficient, a nearly 22-point gap from the state average and a sharp drop from 30.3% just two years earlier. Science is another area of concern, with 8th grade proficiency at 38.5% compared to 57.8% statewide.

Chronic absenteeism is likely a major factor behind the school's struggles. Before the pandemic, only 9.4% of students were chronically absent, but that rate has hovered between 25% and 33% since 2020–2021 — consistently above both district and state averages. With roughly one in four students missing enough school to fall behind, it becomes very difficult to lift proficiency rates, especially in subjects like literacy and science where learning builds cumulatively. For parents considering Eiland Middle, the math program is a genuine bright spot, but improving attendance and literacy instruction appear to be the most urgent priorities for the school moving forward.