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Pearl Junior High School

Q: Is Pearl Junior High School a good school?

Pearl Junior High School ranks 104 th of 260 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

104^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 260 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 60% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Pearl Junior High School serves 944 students in grades 6–8 in Pearl, Mississippi, and is part of the Pearl Public Schools district, which holds a 3-star state rating. The school itself also earns 3 stars, ranking 104th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools (60th percentile), placing it squarely between the high-performing Rankin County School District schools to the northeast and the struggling Jackson Public Schools and charter schools to the west.

Academically, Pearl is a solid but fading performer. While it trails neighboring schools like Brandon Middle School, Florence Middle School, and Northwest Middle School by significant margins in most subjects, it dramatically outperforms nearby Jackson schools such as Powell Middle School and Peeples Middle School, often by 20–40 percentage points. For example, Pearl's 8th grade science proficiency is 54.8%, only slightly below the state average and far above the 17–25% range seen in Jackson schools. One standout metric is Algebra I: 97.8% of Pearl's advanced 8th graders taking the course are proficient, well above the state average of 66%. However, 7th grade is a clear weak spot, with math proficiency at 47.8% versus the state's 57.7%, suggesting a transition challenge the school has yet to solve.

Pearl has declined since its pre-pandemic days, dropping from a 4-star rating (81st percentile in 2016–2017) to its current 3-star status. Much of this slide tracks with rising chronic absenteeism, which jumped from a healthy 8.4% in 2018–2019 to 22.6% today—near the state average and far above Rankin County's 9–14.5% range, though much better than the 26–57% seen in Jackson schools. Despite a poverty rate (70.87% free/reduced lunch) closer to the high-poverty Jackson schools than the affluent Rankin County schools, Pearl's outcomes remain respectable. If the school can reduce absenteeism and address the 7th-grade dip, it has a realistic path back to 4-star territory.

944

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,812

Per pupil spending ?

70.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Mary Ann Drive
Pearl, MS 39208

(601) 932-7952

District: Pearl Public Schools

Students who attend Pearl Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Pearl High School

Feeder schools for Pearl Junior High School:

Elementary:	Northside Elementary
	Pearl Lower Elementary
	Pearl Upper School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.2%

African American:

40.4%

Hispanic:

12.1%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Pearl Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2016 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Mississippi median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg49%

Mississippi avg51%

104^th of 260

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 40%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

44^th of 134Pearl 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	56.7	104 of 260	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.7	115 of 266	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	130 of 264	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.1	106 of 243	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.3	104 of 257	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.5	69 of 257	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	72.0	66 of 264	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	72 of 252	71.4%	★★★★☆
2017	77.2	51 of 272	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	75.1	57 of 260	78.1%	★★★★☆
2015	65.8	72 of 266	72.9%	★★★★☆
2014	61.0	99 of 264	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.7	77 of 269	71.4%	★★★★☆
2012	73.7	64 of 270	76.3%	★★★★☆
2011	70.2	69 of 264	73.9%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I98%+32 vs state

Science55%-3 vs state

Mathematics53%~ state avg

English Language Arts43%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Pearl Junior High 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)		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 (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 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th 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	Total
Pearl Junior High School	Public	6-8	200 Mary Ann Drive	Pearl	39208	Rankin County	Pearl Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 932-7952	944	72	13.0	70.9%	408 (43.2%)	381 (40.4%)	114 (12.1%)	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (3.3%)	56.7	104^th of 260 public middle schools	60.0%		57.7	115^th of 266 public middle schools	56.8%	11		52.1	34.3	41.3		60.5	47.8	49.8	97.8		54.8	$9,812
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	257^th of 260 public middle schools	1.2%		4.6	260^th of 266 public middle schools	2.3%	3		15.1	9.7	18.5		11.0	16.6	15.6	91.6		21.9	$16,571
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	252^nd of 260 public middle schools	3.1%		16.5	228^th of 266 public middle schools	14.3%	24	40.8	28.7	15.5	18.1	23.6	23.8	14.5	19.6		40.3	23.0	$12,327
Reimagine Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	309 W. McDowell Rd.	Jackson	39204	Hinds County	Reimagine Prep	Yes	No	No	Yes	(601) 941-0844	457	21	21.7	100.0%	5 (1.1%)	443 (96.9%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	14.3	241^st of 260 public middle schools	7.3%		9.8	248^th of 266 public middle schools	6.8%	7	45.2	24.7	27.9	23.1	32.3	13.7	30.6	26.1		53.4	36.2	$12,878
Brandon Middle School	Public	6-8	408 College Street	Brandon	39042	Rankin County	Rankin County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 825-5998	1,155	91	12.7	37.5%	656 (56.8%)	386 (33.4%)	44 (3.8%)	9 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	58 (5.0%)	90.7	11^th of 260 public middle schools	95.8%		89.6	13^th of 266 public middle schools	95.1%	2		59.8	50.8	62.6		68.2	76.6	84.1	100.0		79.6	$11,756
Peeples Middle School	Public	6-8	2940 Belvedere Drive	Jackson	39212	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 346-5660	541	47	11.6	100.0%	5 (0.9%)	450 (83.2%)	76 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	1.9	260^th of 260 public middle schools	0.0%		3.1	262^nd of 266 public middle schools	1.5%	2		10.3	9.3	11.8		7.1	12.9	5.9			17.5	$16,248
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	259^th of 260 public middle schools	0.4%		4.9	259^th of 266 public middle schools	2.6%			13.9	9.1	8.4		11.1	11.7	7.8			17.5	$16,140
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	254^th of 260 public middle schools	2.3%		15.6	233^rd of 266 public middle schools	12.4%	21		17.5	11.7	21.7		23.0	23.7	9.3	85.7		24.7	$17,184
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	5805 Hwy 25	Flowood	39232	Rankin County	Rankin County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 992-1329	1,352	110	12.2	38.2%	705 (52.1%)	444 (32.8%)	71 (5.3%)	46 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (6.4%)	78.7	48^th of 260 public middle schools	81.5%		83.7	29^th of 266 public middle schools	89.1%	19		61.0	43.2	52.7		71.7	64.6	53.5	100.0		67.9	$11,126
Florence Middle School	Public	6-8	123 Beverly Dr	Florence	39073	Rankin County	Rankin County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 845-2862	556	45	12.3	45.3%	453 (81.5%)	67 (12.1%)	15 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	88.9	19^th of 260 public middle schools	92.7%		82.8	33^rd of 266 public middle schools	87.6%	14		64.0	51.2	59.2		71.5	75.3	62.1	98.6		81.0	$12,239

Frequently Asked Questions about Pearl Junior High School

What high school do graduates of Pearl Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Pearl Junior High School usually go on to attend Pearl High School

What district is Pearl Junior High School in?

Pearl Public Schools

How many students attend Pearl Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 944 students attended Pearl Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Pearl Junior High School?

Students at Pearl Junior High School are 43% White, 40% African American, 12% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Is Pearl Junior High School a good school?

Pearl Junior High School ranks 104^th of 260 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Pearl Junior High School!

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 MAAP test scoresNewAug 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.