Quitman County Middle School

Quitman County Middle School in Marks, MS serves 265 students in grades 5–8 and is part of the Quitman County School District, a high-poverty area where every student qualifies for free/reduced lunch. The school stands out among nearby options as the only true middle school covering all grades 5–8, compared to Batesville Junior High School, Oakhurst Intermediate School, and W.A. Higgins Academy Of Arts/International Studies. Its student-teacher ratio jumped from 12.9 in 2022–23 to 25.8 in 2024–25, far above Batesville’s 13.8 and Oakhurst’s 16.1, signaling serious staffing pressure. Chronic absenteeism at 24.3% is actually lower than Batesville’s 33.9% and Higgins’ 44.2%, though it has tripled since 2018–19.

Academically, the school is mixed. A genuine bright spot is 6th grade math, where proficiency hit 44.6% in 2025–26, beating Batesville’s 38.7% and Oakhurst’s 30.1%. Eighth grade science is also a relative strength, hovering near the state average (49.2% vs. 40.9% state average in 2025–26) and crushing Higgins’ 35.2%. However, English Language Arts is the most pressing weakness, with every grade far below state averages—7th grade ELA sits at just 18.4% proficiency versus 36.7% statewide. Performance varies sharply by grade, as 5th and 8th grade math proficiency both fall below 18% while 6th grade math excels, pointing to inconsistent instruction across cohorts.

Quitman’s statewide ranking has slipped from the 40th percentile in 2021–22 to the 17th percentile in 2025–26, coinciding with doubled class sizes and rising absenteeism. Yet the school has shown it can approach state averages—8th grade math hit 46.0% in 2022–23, essentially tied with the state, and science has stayed competitive. It also outperforms Higgins in most subjects. The clearest path forward involves stabilizing staffing, addressing post-pandemic attendance loss, and replicating the success seen in 6th grade math and 8th grade science across other grades and subjects.