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Pontotoc Junior High School

Q: Is Pontotoc Junior High School a good school?

Pontotoc Junior High School ranks 66 th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

66^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 75% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Pontotoc Junior High School, a 7th- and 8th-grade middle school in Pontotoc, Mississippi, serves 361 students within the Pontotoc City School District, which ranks 21st of 134 districts statewide with a 4-star rating. The school itself ranks 66th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools (75th percentile), earning a 4-star rating. Despite a high-need population — 71.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch — the school consistently outperforms most of its regional peers across multiple subjects.

Math is the school's clear signature strength. Proficiency has run 8 to 14 points above state averages in recent years: 7th grade math hit 68% in 2025-2026 (state: 57.7%), while 8th grade reached 56.4% (state: 51.4%). The school's advanced 8th graders taking Algebra I posted a perfect 100% proficiency on the End-of-Course exam in both 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Science is another strong suit, with 65.7% of 8th graders proficient in 2025-2026 — above the state's 57.8% and ahead of nearby Tupelo Middle School (59.2%), South Pontotoc Middle School (48.1%), Shannon Middle School (47.9%), and Plantersville Middle School (35.5%).

English language arts is the area to watch, with results that swing by grade and year: 7th grade fell to 35.4% in 2025-2026 (below the state's 36.7%), while 8th grade reached 47.7% (above the state's 40.9%). A drop from Pontotoc Middle School's 6th grade ELA (49.7%) into 7th grade hints at a literacy transition challenge worth monitoring. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically, falling from above 32% in recent years to 22.0% — below the state average of 23.9% and far better than Tupelo Middle (36.3%) and Shannon Middle (37.6%). Among comparable area middle schools, Pontotoc Junior High ranks second only to New Albany Middle School (rank 56), ahead of Tupelo Middle (80), North Pontotoc Middle School (91), and South Pontotoc Middle (116).

361

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,487

Per pupil spending ?

71.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

132 North Main Street
Pontotoc, MS 38863

(662) 489-8360

District: Pontotoc City School District

Students who attend Pontotoc Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Pontotoc High School

Feeder schools for Pontotoc Junior High School:

Elementary:	DT Cox Elementary School
	Pontotoc Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.6%

African American:

22.7%

Hispanic:

21.9%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Pontotoc Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2016 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (55% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Above the Mississippi median (75th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg55%

Mississippi avg49%

66^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st of 133Pontotoc City 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	71.8	66 of 263	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	73.6	66 of 265	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	75 of 259	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	62 of 228	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	51 of 233	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.2	43 of 229	81.2%	★★★★☆
2019	85.9	31 of 223	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	86.2	29 of 211	86.3%	★★★★☆
2017	84.6	33 of 272	87.9%	★★★★☆
2016	87.7	23 of 260	91.2%	★★★★★
2015	78.4	49 of 266	81.6%	★★★★☆
2014	89.6	10 of 264	96.2%	★★★★★
2013	88.1	16 of 269	94.1%	★★★★★
2012	92.2	10 of 270	96.3%	★★★★★
2011	92.8	7 of 264	97.3%	★★★★★
2010	90.7	14 of 255	94.5%	★★★★★
2009	90.3	14 of 247	94.3%	★★★★★
2008	91.9	9 of 244	96.3%	★★★★★

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Science66%+8 vs state

Mathematics62%+7 vs state

English Language Arts42%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pontotoc 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/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
Pontotoc Junior High School	Public	7-8	132 North Main Street	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-8360	361	31	11.6	71.5%	172 (47.6%)	82 (22.7%)	79 (21.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.2%)	71.8	66^th of 263 public middle schools	74.9%		73.6	66^th of 265 public middle schools	75.1%				35.4	47.7			68.0	56.4			65.7	$11,487
Pontotoc Middle School	Public	5-6	135 Education Drive	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 489-6056	316	27	11.5	72.8%	154 (48.7%)	89 (28.2%)	53 (16.8%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.7%)								(n/a)	58.4	49.7			71.1	71.0				74.7		$10,321
South Pontotoc Middle School	Public	6-8	1523 South Pontotoc Rd	Pontotoc	38863	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-3476	379	29	12.9	—	302 (79.7%)	24 (6.3%)	43 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	54.7	116^th of 263 public middle schools	55.9%		62	101^st of 265 public middle schools	61.9%	15		52.6	37.2	33.7		58.7	57.9	43.6			48.1	$7,989
North Pontotoc Middle School	Public	7-8	8324 Hwy 15 North	Ecru	38841	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 662-2479	308	22	14.2	—	211 (68.5%)	38 (12.3%)	55 (17.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	61.6	91^st of 263 public middle schools	65.4%		75.9	56^th of 265 public middle schools	78.9%	35			26.6	46.5			51.1	54.2	100.0		75.9	$9,149
North Pontotoc Upper Elementary	Public	5-6	1620 Old Highway 15	Ecru	38841	Pontotoc County	Pontotoc County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 489-2295	297	20	14.9	—	186 (62.6%)	44 (14.8%)	61 (20.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)								(n/a)	52.5	37.6			56.2	66.2				70.5		$8,212
Tupelo Middle School	Public	7-8	1009 Varsity Drive	Tupelo	38801	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 840-8780	1,070	77	13.9	67.0%	344 (32.1%)	565 (52.8%)	100 (9.3%)	34 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (2.4%)	67.7	80^th of 263 public middle schools	69.6%		74.8	61^st of 265 public middle schools	77.0%	19			39.4	46.2			65.1	52.3	98.8		59.2	$10,592
Milam Elementary School	Public	6	720 West Jefferson	Tupelo	38804	Lee County	Tupelo Public School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 841-8920	456	37	12.3	66.7%	127 (27.9%)	248 (54.4%)	47 (10.3%)	15 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.2%)								(n/a)		52.2				57.0						$11,300
New Albany Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Apple Street	New Albany	38652	Union County	New Albany Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(662) 534-1820	470	36	12.8	63.2%	227 (48.3%)	130 (27.7%)	79 (16.8%)	13 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	77.1	56^th of 263 public middle schools	78.7%		77.8	53^rd of 265 public middle schools	80.0%	3		61.7	42.4	49.6		58.2	62.6	69.8	100.0		64.8	$11,034
Shannon Middle School	Public	6-8	232 Cherry Street	Shannon	38868	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 767-3986	190	21	9.1	87.4%	57 (30.0%)	116 (61.1%)	11 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.2%)	25.3	207^th of 263 public middle schools	21.3%		28.4	193^rd of 265 public middle schools	27.2%	14		32.0	25.5	30.5		30.6	46.8	27.8			47.9	$13,390
Plantersville Middle School	Public	5-8	2657 Main St.	Plantersville	38862	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 842-4690	241	24	10.0	—	9 (3.7%)	192 (79.7%)	25 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)	14.1	244^th of 263 public middle schools	7.2%		17.4	221^st of 265 public middle schools	16.6%	23	26.0	27.3	18.9	25.0	3.8	14.5	29.3	37.6		56.6	35.5	$15,440

Frequently Asked Questions about Pontotoc Junior High School

How many students attend Pontotoc Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 361 students attended Pontotoc Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Pontotoc Junior High School?

Students at Pontotoc Junior High School are 48% White, 23% African American, 22% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What district is Pontotoc Junior High School in?

Pontotoc City School District

Is Pontotoc Junior High School a good school?

Pontotoc Junior High School ranks 66^th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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

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

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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.