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Petal Middle School

Q: Is Petal Middle School a good school?

Petal Middle School ranks 49 th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

49^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 81% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Petal Middle School, located in Petal, Mississippi, serves 645 students in 7th and 8th grade as part of the highly-rated Petal School District, which ranks 11th out of 134 districts in the state. The school has historically been one of Mississippi's elite middle schools, finishing in the top 10 in state rankings in 2017-18, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2023-24. However, its most recent 2025-26 ranking dropped to 49th out of 260 schools—still above average, but a notable departure from its usual top-tier performance.

Mathematics remains Petal Middle's greatest strength. In 2025-26, 72.7% of 7th graders and 67.2% of 8th graders were proficient in math, roughly 15 points above the state average in both grades. Reading is a mixed picture: 8th grade ELA proficiency sits at a solid 52.8%, but 7th grade ELA has fallen from 62.9% in 2022-23 to just 40.2%—barely above the state average. Science has also weakened, dropping from 78.3% proficiency in 2023-24 to 59.4% in 2025-26. Chronic absenteeism is another concern, running consistently above the district average at 21.8% in 2023-24.

Compared to nearby schools, Petal still outperforms urban Hattiesburg schools like N R Burger Middle in most subjects, and it remains competitive with Purvis Middle School and Oak Grove Middle School. However, Sumrall Middle School—now ranked 22nd in the state—surpasses Petal in 8th grade math, 8th grade science, and 7th grade ELA. Notably, both Sumrall and Oak Grove offer Algebra I coursework with near-perfect pass rates, while Petal does not report Algebra I results. The transition from Petal Upper Elementary also appears challenging: 6th grade ELA proficiency of 60.9% falls to 40.2% by 7th grade. To return to its former standing, Petal Middle will likely need to focus on attendance, 7th grade literacy, and science.

645

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,846

Per pupil spending ?

60.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

203 East Central Avenue
Petal, MS 39465

(601) 584-6301

District: Petal School District

Students who attend Petal Middle School usually attend:

High:

Petal High School

Feeder schools for Petal Middle School:

Elementary:	Petal Elementary 3-4
	Petal Primary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.4%

African American:

18.0%

Hispanic:

5.7%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Petal Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (58% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Mississippi middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg58%

Mississippi avg49%

49^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 19%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 5% (2016) to top 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 133Petal School District 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	78.3	49 of 263	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	87.9	15 of 265	94.3%	★★★★★
2024	93.0	9 of 259	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	89.5	19 of 228	91.7%	★★★★★
2022	94.0	8 of 233	96.6%	★★★★★
2021	95.5	5 of 229	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	94.2	7 of 223	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	96.3	2 of 211	99.1%	★★★★★
2017	94.0	7 of 272	97.4%	★★★★★
2016	90.3	13 of 260	95.0%	★★★★★
2015	90.5	16 of 266	94.0%	★★★★★
2014	74.5	54 of 264	79.5%	★★★★☆
2013	89.7	14 of 269	94.8%	★★★★★
2012	93.2	9 of 270	96.7%	★★★★★
2011	91.8	11 of 264	95.8%	★★★★★
2010	92.8	9 of 255	96.5%	★★★★★
2009	83.8	26 of 247	89.5%	★★★★☆
2008	83.0	30 of 244	87.7%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics70%+15 vs state

Science59%~ state avg

English Language Arts47%+8 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Wednesday, November 13, 2019

I had to move from Oak Grove middle school to Petal Middle school in the middle of the year and it was so much better. The lunches were better, Electronic Devices actually worked, and the teachers were more willing to help. Petal middle school is a great school. Close Quote

Schools Near Petal 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)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Petal Middle School	Public	7-8	203 East Central Avenue	Petal	39465	Forrest County	Petal School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 584-6301	645	50	12.7	60.0%	467 (72.4%)	116 (18.0%)	37 (5.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	18 (2.8%)	78.3	49^th of 263 public middle schools	81.4%		87.9	15^th of 265 public middle schools	94.3%	34			40.2	52.8			72.7	67.2			59.4	$10,846
Petal Upper Elementary	Public	5-6	400 Hillcrest Loop	Petal	39465	Forrest County	Petal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 584-7660	632	51	12.3	59.0%	432 (68.4%)	108 (17.1%)	60 (9.5%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (3.8%)								(n/a)	69.7	60.9			68.1	74.7				82.6		$10,332
Hattiesburg Steam Academy	Public	6	176 WSF Tatum Dr.	Hattiesburg	39401	Forrest County	Hattiesburg	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 582-5291	263	20	13.2	—	10 (3.8%)	210 (79.8%)	27 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.1%)								(n/a)		38.4				46.8						$17,689
N R Burger Middle	Public	7-8	174 Wsf Tatum Drive	Hattiesburg	39401	Forrest County	Hattiesburg	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 582-0536	525	50	10.4	—	14 (2.7%)	424 (80.8%)	60 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.1%)	56	109^th of 263 public middle schools	58.6%		57.9	113^th of 265 public middle schools	57.4%	4			37.4	35.0			50.0	59.9			56.7	$15,533
Oak Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	2543 Old Hwy.24	Hattiesburg	39402	Lamar County	Lamar County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 264-4634	1,160	89	12.9	61.0%	399 (34.4%)	547 (47.2%)	123 (10.6%)	36 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (4.6%)	68.6	77^th of 263 public middle schools	70.7%		72.9	69^th of 265 public middle schools	74.0%	8		56.8	40.4	50.4		52.8	56.9	57.5	100.0		60.0	$9,577
Purvis Middle School	Public	6-8	213 School Street	Purvis	39475	Lamar County	Lamar County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 794-1068	447	31	14.4	51.9%	370 (82.8%)	48 (10.7%)	14 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.9%)	75.7	58^th of 263 public middle schools	77.9%		69.2	78^th of 265 public middle schools	70.6%	20		54.9	37.8	44.6		68.0	70.9	63.7			66.4	$9,831
Perry Central Middle School	Public	6-8	100 8th Ave. South	New Augusta	39462	Perry County	Perry County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 964-3226	178	16	11.2	82.0%	109 (61.2%)	41 (23.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (14.6%)	55.8	112^th of 263 public middle schools	57.4%		65.4	90^th of 265 public middle schools	66.0%	22		37.5	38.4	32.7		43.7	71.2	48.1			67.3	$13,057
Sumrall Middle School	Public	6-8	1217 Highway 42	Sumrall	39482	Lamar County	Lamar County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 758-4416	484	35	13.9	40.1%	392 (81.0%)	45 (9.3%)	19 (3.9%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.0%)	88.3	22^nd of 263 public middle schools	91.6%		86.4	24^th of 265 public middle schools	90.9%	2		67.3	43.9	54.8		79.7	71.0	73.9	96.8		72.6	$9,670

Frequently Asked Questions about Petal Middle School

Is Petal Middle School a good school?

Petal Middle School ranks 49^th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Petal Middle School?

Students at Petal Middle School are 72% White, 18% African American, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Petal Middle School attend?

Students who attend Petal Middle School usually go on to attend Petal High School

What district is Petal Middle School in?

Petal School District

How many students attend Petal Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 645 students attended Petal Middle School.

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MSMississippi Middle School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in Petal, MS

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 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.