Petal Middle School

Summary:

Petal Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Petal School District in Petal, Mississippi, with a student population of 745. This highly-rated school consistently ranks among the top middle schools in the state, outperforming the state averages in academic assessments and offering a diverse and supportive learning environment.

Petal Middle School's academic performance is exceptional, with students significantly outperforming the state averages in MAAP (Mississippi Academic Assessment Program) tests across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 62.3% of 7th graders and 60.2% of 8th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 40.8% and 42% respectively. In mathematics, 81.3% of 7th graders and 81.2% of 8th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 57.2% and 55.3%. This consistent academic excellence has earned Petal Middle School a ranking as high as 5th out of 257 middle schools in the state.

Despite serving a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 99.6% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Petal Middle School has a more diverse student population compared to many of the surrounding schools, such as Purvis Middle School, Perry Central Middle School, and Sumrall Middle School, which have student populations that are over 80% White. This suggests that Petal Middle School is providing equitable educational opportunities to students of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, the school's low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12 to 15.3 students per teacher, may be a contributing factor to its academic success.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 203 East Central Avenue
       Petal, MS  39465


(601) 584-6301

District: Petal School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
9th of 264 Mississippi Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,621 Help


Students who attend Petal Middle School usually attend:

High:    Petal High School

Feeder schools for Petal Middle School:

Elementary:    Petal Elementary
    Petal Primary School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  745

Racial breakdown:

White:
67.2%
African American:
18.8%
Hispanic:
7.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Petal Middle School ranks better than 96.6% of middle schools in Mississippi. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.97. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (67.2%), African American (18.8%), Hispanic (7.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Petal Middle School is 15.3. (See more...)
Help
Compare Petal Middle School employs 48.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Petal Middle School is $8,621.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Petal Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Petal Middle School 9th of 264 Mississippi public middle schools. (See Petal Middle School in the ranking list.)

Petal School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Petal School District 2nd of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Petal Middle School?

Rank History for Petal Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2008 83.01 30th 244 87.7%
2009 83.78 26th 247 89.5%
2010 92.83 9th 255 96.5%
2011 91.76 11th 264 95.8%
2012 93.19 9th 270 96.7%
2013 89.65 14th 269 94.8%
2014 74.51 54th 264 79.5%
2015 90.49 16th 266 94.0%
2016 90.27 13th 260 95.0%
2017 94.01 7th 272 97.4%
2018 96.34 2nd 252 99.2%
2019 94.18 7th 264 97.3%
2021 95.49 5th 257 98.1%
2022 93.95 8th 257 96.9%
2023 89.52 19th 243 92.2%
2024 92.97 9th 264 96.6%
See the entire list of Mississippi Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Petal Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

by a citizen
Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Open Quote 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



Enrollment information for Petal Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1990 645 62 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 707
1991 665 59 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 724
1992 701 65 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 766
1993 732 76 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 811
1994 656 80 2 131 0 n/a n/a 0 869
1995 764 60 3 0 2 n/a n/a 0 829
1996 764 60 3 0 2 n/a n/a 0 829
1997 774 71 3 1 1 n/a n/a 0 850
1998 811 66 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 880
1999 806 88 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 898
2000 794 86 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 881
2001 745 79 2 3 1 n/a n/a 0 830
2002 786 106 0 7 1 n/a n/a 0 900
2003 786 106 0 7 1 n/a n/a 0 900
2004 819 117 1 8 3 n/a n/a 0 948
2005 800 110 2 8 3 n/a n/a 0 923
2006 825 121 5 5 2 n/a n/a 0 958
2007 801 124 4 11 2 n/a n/a 0 942
2008 773 127 3 13 2 n/a n/a 0 918
2009 512 94 2 10 1 0 0 0 619
2010 490 91 3 8 0 0 2 0 594
2011 492 81 3 16 0 0 6 0 598
2012 495 87 7 19 0 0 9 0 617
2013 511 104 7 16 0 1 7 0 646
2014 494 123 9 21 0 1 6 0 654
2015 501 114 7 23 1 0 6 0 652
2016 476 108 7 29 2 1 5 0 628
2017 470 95 8 32 2 2 16 0 625
2018 455 94 6 29 2 1 32 0 619
2019 409 111 7 28 2 1 30 0 588
2020 429 131 8 32 2 0 24 0 626
2021 500 136 5 39 1 0 31 0 712
2022 519 142 3 40 0 0 39 0 743
2023 501 140 1 54 0 0 49 0 745

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Petal Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 707 42.3 16.7 n/a
1991 724 44.6 16.2 n/a
1992 766 44.3 17.2 30.9
1993 811 48.1 16.9 34.3
1994 869 50.9 17.1 32.1
1995 829 53.2 15.6 31.1
1996 829 53.2 15.6 31.1
1997 850 54.0 15.7 29.9
1998 880 58.0 15.2 30.8
1999 898 56.7 15.8 41.8
2000 881 57.3 15.4 40.6
2001 830 57.5 14.4 41.7
2002 900 67.2 13.4 45.7
2003 900 67.2 13.4 45.7
2004 948 76.4 12.4 49.4
2005 923 73.8 12.5 50.2
2006 958 74.6 12.8 67
2007 942 74.5 12.6 50.7
2008 918 74.6 12.3 52.8
2009 619 59.3 10.4 50.7
2010 594 58.2 10.1 52.7
2011 598 56.4 10.5 52.8
2012 617 55.1 11.1 57.1
2013 646 60.3 10.7 58.8
2014 654 59.3 11.0 60.7
2015 652 54.0 12.0 63.2
2016 628 52.0 12.0 60.2
2017 625 53.1 11.7 56.6
2018 619 55.5 11.1 56.4
2019 588 53.7 10.9 59
2020 626 51.7 12.0 62
2021 712 58.9 12.0 99.6
2022 743 51.7 14.3 99.6
2023 745 48.3 15.3 99.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Petal Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 707 42.3 16.7 n/a
1991 724 44.6 16.2 n/a
1992 766 44.3 17.2 30.9
1993 811 48.1 16.9 34.3
1994 869 50.9 17.1 32.1
1995 829 53.2 15.6 31.1
1996 829 53.2 15.6 31.1
1997 850 54.0 15.7 29.9
1998 880 58.0 15.2 30.8
1999 898 56.7 15.8 41.8
2000 881 57.3 15.4 40.6
2001 830 57.5 14.4 41.7
2002 900 67.2 13.4 45.7
2003 900 67.2 13.4 45.7
2004 948 76.4 12.4 49.4
2005 923 73.8 12.5 50.2
2006 958 74.6 12.8 67
2007 942 74.5 12.6 50.7
2008 918 74.6 12.3 52.8
2009 619 59.3 10.4 50.7
2010 594 58.2 10.1 52.7
2011 598 56.4 10.5 52.8
2012 617 55.1 11.1 57.1
2013 646 60.3 10.7 58.8
2014 654 59.3 11.0 60.7
2015 652 54.0 12.0 63.2
2016 628 52.0 12.0 60.2
2017 625 53.1 11.7 56.6
2018 619 55.5 11.1 56.4
2019 588 53.7 10.9 59
2020 626 51.7 12.0 62
2021 712 58.9 12.0 99.6
2022 743 51.7 14.3 99.6
2023 745 48.3 15.3 99.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Petal Middle School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $309 (3.6%) $8,312 (96.4%) $8,621

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Petal Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 7th of 264 Middle schoolsRanks 19th of 243 Middle schools
 5.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Petal Middle School)58.662.9
 4.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Petal School District)58.662.9
 4.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)3940.2
 1.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Petal Middle School)80.584.6
 4.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Petal School District)80.584.6
 4.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)51.155.6
 4.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Petal Middle School)61.949.2
 12.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Petal School District)61.949.2
 12.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)35.540.5
 5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Petal Middle School)75.163.5
 11.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Petal School District)75.163.5
 11.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)44.846.1
 1.3%
8th Grade Science (Petal Middle School)69.971.3
 1.4%
   8th Grade Science (Petal School District)69.971.3
 1.4%
   8th Grade Science (Mississippi)52.753.3
 0.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students588745
 26.7%
African American111140
 26.1%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian71
 85.7%
Hispanic2854
 92.9%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White409501
 22.5%
Two or More Races3049
 63.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients59%99.6%
 40.6%


Schools Near Petal Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Petal Middle School

Students at Petal Middle School are 67% White, 19% African American, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 745 students attended Petal Middle School.

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

Yes! Petal Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 9th of 264 Mississippi middle schools.


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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.





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