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Perry Central Middle School

Q: Is Perry Central Middle School a good school?

Perry Central Middle School ranks 112 th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

112^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 57% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Perry Central Middle School is a small rural middle school in New Augusta, Mississippi, serving 178 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Perry County School District. The school has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade, climbing from the bottom of Mississippi's rankings—252nd out of 266 schools in 2014-2015—to a solid mid-tier performer ranked 112th out of 260 middle schools statewide for 2025-2026, earning a 3-star rating.

The school's strongest academic areas are 7th grade math and 8th grade science. In 2025-2026, 71.2% of 7th graders were proficient in math, well above the state average of 57.7% and nearly matching Petal Middle School's 72.7%. Eighth grade science proficiency reached 67.3%, exceeding both the state average (57.8%) and Petal Middle's 59.4%. However, English Language Arts remains a persistent challenge. Eighth grade ELA proficiency was just 32.7%, compared to 40.9% statewide, and only 7th grade ELA managed to meet the state average.

Perry Central compares favorably to nearby schools in several ways. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 20.1% is lower than the state average (23.9%) and better than N R Burger Middle (26.1%) and Petal Middle (21.8%). Additionally, with 82% of students economically disadvantaged, the school's above-average math and science results are notable, especially when compared to nearby Petal schools that have lower poverty rates but don't always outperform Perry Central in those subjects. Given its small size, proficiency rates can fluctuate with each cohort, which makes the school's 2025-2026 slight dip in 6th grade and 8th grade ELA worth monitoring. Overall, Perry Central is a school on an upward trajectory, with clear strengths in math and science and room to grow in literacy.

178

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,057

Per pupil spending ?

82%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 8th Ave. South
New Augusta, MS 39462

(601) 964-3226

District: Perry County School District

Students who attend Perry Central Middle School usually attend:

High:

Perry Central High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.2%

African American:

23.0%

Two or more races:

14.6%

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Compare Perry Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 5th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 52 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Mississippi median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg49%

Mississippi avg49%

112^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 42 pts since 2016

From bottom 15% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

77^th of 133Perry County 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2017	33.6	276 of 406	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.3	232 of 394	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	23.1	325 of 402	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.0	340 of 394	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	35.8	280 of 408	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	34.0	292 of 414	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.6	279 of 418	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.7	226 of 403	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	41.3	249 of 392	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	28.7	301 of 394	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	112 of 263	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.4	90 of 265	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.5	173 of 259	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.9	140 of 228	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.4	162 of 233	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.0	133 of 229	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	139 of 223	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	20.4	215 of 272	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.2	220 of 260	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.1	252 of 266	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	40.5	165 of 264	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.7	181 of 269	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	28.9	205 of 270	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.3	225 of 264	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	48.9	139 of 255	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	34.8	169 of 247	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	28.2	187 of 244	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science67%+10 vs state

Mathematics55%~ state avg

English Language Arts36%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Perry Central 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 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 (2025)	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 Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	Total
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
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
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
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	100.0%	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	100.0%	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Perry Central Middle School

What high school do graduates of Perry Central Middle School attend?

Students who attend Perry Central Middle School usually go on to attend Perry Central High School

Is Perry Central Middle School a good school?

Perry Central Middle School ranks 112^th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Perry Central Middle School in?

Perry County School District

How many students attend Perry Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 178 students attended Perry Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Perry Central Middle School?

Students at Perry Central Middle School are 61% White, 23% African American, 15% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

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MSMississippi Middle School Rankings

MSMississippi District Rankings

Schools in New Augusta, MS

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 MAAP test scoresAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 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.