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Shirley D. Simmons Middle School

Q: Is Shirley D. Simmons Middle School a good school?

Shirley D. Simmons Middle School ranks 118 th of 266 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

118^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 266 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 56% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Shirley D. Simmons Middle School is a public middle school located in Canton, Mississippi, serving grades 6-8 and part of the Madison County School District, which is ranked 18 out of 130 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating. With a relatively small student population of 139 students, the school has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels.

For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Shirley D. Simmons Middle School's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were significantly lower than the Madison County School District and the state of Mississippi averages. Additionally, the school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17% to 23.9% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students (over 96%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Leake Central Junior High, Nichols Middle School, and Huey L. Porter Middle School, also struggle with low test scores and high rates of chronic absenteeism, but Shirley D. Simmons Middle School appears to be performing worse in these key metrics. The school's small size and low student-teacher ratio could potentially be leveraged to implement more personalized and targeted instructional strategies to address the specific needs of the student population, and addressing the high chronic absenteeism rates could also be a key focus area for improvement.

124

Students ?

6.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,745

Per pupil spending ?

94.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

820 Sulphur Springs Road
Canton, MS 39046

(601) 855-2406

District: Madison County Schools

Students who attend Shirley D. Simmons Middle School usually attend:

High:

Velma Jackson High School

Feeder schools for Shirley D. Simmons Middle School:

Elementary:	Camden Elementary
	Luther Branson Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.6%

Two or more races:

1.6%

Hispanic:

0.8%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Shirley D. Simmons Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 59th percentile in 2014 → 56th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Mississippi median (56th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 6 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg71%

Mississippi avg50%

118^th of 266

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 44%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the Madison County Schools

18^th of 130Madison County 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
2025	56.7	118 of 266	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.5	82 of 264	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.4	101 of 243	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.1	115 of 257	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.7	114 of 257	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.5	67 of 264	74.6%	★★★★☆
2018	58.5	106 of 252	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.6	78 of 260	70.0%	★★★★☆
2015	65.2	75 of 266	71.8%	★★★★☆
2014	58.1	108 of 264	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.4	108 of 269	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.8	81 of 270	70.0%	★★★★☆
2011	58.2	122 of 264	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.8	135 of 255	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.9	134 of 247	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	31.1	181 of 244	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I100%+33 vs state

Science76%+21 vs state

Mathematics50%~ state avg

English Language Arts38%-4 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Shirley D. Simmons Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAAP English Language Arts (2025)			MAAP Mathematics (2025)			MAAP Algebra I (2025)	MAAP Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
Shirley D. Simmons Middle School	Public	6-8	820 Sulphur Springs Road	Canton	39046	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 855-2406	124	19	6.3	94.4%	0 (0.0%)	121 (97.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	56.7	118^th of 266 public middle schools	55.6%		66.5	82^nd of 264 public middle schools	68.9%	36	35.5	34.7	43.2	54.9	53.0	40.5	100.0	75.7	$21,745
Huey L Porter Middle	Public	6-8	551 Finney Road	Canton	39046	Madison County	Canton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 407-1820	356	27	13.0	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	255 (71.6%)	65 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.8%)	59.7	110^th of 266 public middle schools	58.6%		35.5	169^th of 264 public middle schools	36.0%	59	50.0	32.8	48.7	63.6	56.3	46.1		49.5	$12,435
Nichols Middle School	Public	6-8	529 North Mace Street	Canton	39046	Madison County	Canton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 859-3741	362	28	12.9	100.0%	2 (0.6%)	285 (78.7%)	62 (17.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	17.6	219^th of 266 public middle schools	17.7%		12	243^rd of 264 public middle schools	8.0%	24	26.4	19.1	25.6	36.3	23.7	20.2		38.1	$11,831
Leake Central Junior High School	Public	6-8	801 Martin Luther King Drive	Carthage	39051	Leake County	Leake County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 267-8909	383	27	14.0	100.0%	53 (13.8%)	222 (58.0%)	93 (24.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	28.4	195^th of 266 public middle schools	26.7%		28.9	185^th of 264 public middle schools	29.9%	10	36.5	26.7	27.6	28.0	40.0	36.6	100.0	39.1	$12,188

Frequently Asked Questions about Shirley D. Simmons Middle School

Is Shirley D. Simmons Middle School a good school?

Shirley D. Simmons Middle School ranks 118^th of 266 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Shirley D. Simmons Middle School attend?

Students who attend Shirley D. Simmons Middle School usually go on to attend Velma Jackson High School

What district is Shirley D. Simmons Middle School in?

Madison County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Shirley D. Simmons Middle School?

Students at Shirley D. Simmons Middle School are 98% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Shirley D. Simmons Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 124 students attended Shirley D. Simmons Middle School.

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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.