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Northwest Middle School

Q: Is Northwest Middle School a good school?

Northwest Middle School ranks 48 th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

48^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 263 Mississippi Middle Schools

Better than 82% of Mississippi middle schools

Summary

Northwest Middle School is a public school in Flowood, MS, serving 1,352 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Rankin County School District. The school currently ranks 48th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools with a 4-star rating, placing it in the 82nd percentile — a solid result, but a meaningful drop from its history as a consistent 5-star school that ranked in the 93rd–97th percentile through the 2021–22 school year.

Northwest has several notable strengths. Its Algebra I End-of-Course exam proficiency has been a perfect 100% for four consecutive years, far exceeding the district average of 64.5% and the state average of 66%. Chronic absenteeism is also a bright spot: only 11.6% of students were chronically absent in 2023–24, compared with 23.9% statewide and far higher rates at Blackburn Middle School and other Jackson-area schools. Despite being the largest middle school in the area, Northwest maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.2, matching Madison Middle School and beating Germantown Middle (14.1) and Pearl Junior High School (13.0). The school also serves a comparatively advantaged population, with a 38.24% free/reduced lunch rate similar to Brandon Middle School.

The most important concern is declining math performance as students advance through grade levels. Sixth grade math proficiency is 71.7%, above the district average of 68.0%, but it falls to 64.6% in 7th grade and 53.5% in 8th grade — well below the district average of 61.7% and far behind Brandon Middle (84.1%) and Madison Middle (88.0%). Eighth grade science (67.9%) also trails district peers, and 7th grade ELA (43.2%) slipped below the district average of 45.7%. These gaps help explain why Brandon Middle School, located just 6 miles away with nearly identical demographics, now ranks 11th in the state while Northwest sits at 48th. For parents, Northwest remains a strong, well-above-average school with excellent advanced math offerings — but the upper-grade academic slide is worth watching.

1,352

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,126

Per pupil spending ?

38.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5805 Hwy 25
Flowood, MS 39232

(601) 992-1329

District: Rankin County School District

Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually attend:

High:

Northwest High School

Feeder schools for Northwest Middle School:

Elementary:	Flowood Elementary
	Highland Bluff Elementary
	Northshore Elementary
	Northwest Elementary
	More...
	Oakdale Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.1%

African American:

32.8%

Two or more races:

6.4%

See top rated Mississippi middle schools

Compare Northwest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2015 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Mississippi average (60% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Mississippi middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg62%

Mississippi avg51%

48^th of 263

Mississippi public middle schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 12 pts since 2017

From top 7% (2017) to top 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the Rankin County School District

25^th of 133Rankin 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	78.7	48 of 263	81.7%	★★★★☆
2025	83.7	29 of 265	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	35 of 259	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	87.1	26 of 228	88.6%	★★★★☆
2022	91.7	14 of 233	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	92.2	11 of 229	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	89.1	18 of 223	91.9%	★★★★★
2018	89.5	17 of 211	91.9%	★★★★★
2017	89.1	18 of 272	93.4%	★★★★★
2015	93.8	9 of 266	96.6%	★★★★★
2014	92.5	4 of 264	98.5%	★★★★★
2013	87.4	21 of 269	92.2%	★★★★★
2012	87.0	23 of 270	91.5%	★★★★★
2011	85.0	23 of 264	91.3%	★★★★★
2010	89.8	16 of 255	93.7%	★★★★★
2009	87.4	20 of 247	91.9%	★★★★★
2008	87.4	18 of 244	92.6%	★★★★★

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I100%+34 vs state

Science68%+10 vs state

Mathematics63%+9 vs state

English Language Arts52%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Northwest 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)		MAAP Biology (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 Algebra I End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	5805 Hwy 25	Flowood	39232	Rankin County	Rankin County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 992-1329	1,352	110	12.2	38.2%	705 (52.1%)	444 (32.8%)	71 (5.3%)	46 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (6.4%)	78.7	48^th of 263 public middle schools	81.7%		83.7	29^th of 265 public middle schools	89.1%	19		61.0	43.2	52.7		71.7	64.6	53.5	100.0		67.9		$11,126
Brandon Middle School	Public	6-8	408 College Street	Brandon	39042	Rankin County	Rankin County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 825-5998	1,155	91	12.7	37.5%	656 (56.8%)	386 (33.4%)	44 (3.8%)	9 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	58 (5.0%)	90.7	11^th of 263 public middle schools	95.8%		89.6	13^th of 265 public middle schools	95.1%	2		59.8	50.8	62.6		68.2	76.6	84.1	100.0		79.6		$11,756
Pearl Junior High School	Public	6-8	200 Mary Ann Drive	Pearl	39208	Rankin County	Pearl Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 932-7952	944	72	13.0	70.9%	408 (43.2%)	381 (40.4%)	114 (12.1%)	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (3.3%)	56.7	104^th of 263 public middle schools	60.5%		57.7	114^th of 265 public middle schools	57.0%	10		52.1	34.3	41.3		60.5	47.8	49.8	97.8		54.8		$9,812
Smilow Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	787 E Northside Dr.	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Joel E. Smilow Prep	Yes	No	No	Yes	(769) 524-5330	521	26	20.0	99.8%	1 (0.2%)	515 (98.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	7.5	254^th of 263 public middle schools	3.4%		16.5	227^th of 265 public middle schools	14.3%	27	40.8	28.7	15.5	18.1	23.6	23.8	14.5	19.6		40.3	23.0		$12,327
Old Town Middle School	Public	6-8	210 Sunnybrook Road	Ridgeland	39157	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 898-8730	693	58	11.8	75.6%	53 (7.6%)	435 (62.8%)	169 (24.4%)	25 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.6%)	65.3	81^st of 263 public middle schools	69.2%					(n/a)		51.0	40.7	46.2		45.0	61.2	61.2	100.0		58.8	100.0	$13,231
Kirksey Middle School	Public	6-8	5677 Highland Drive	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 228-0028	389	30	12.7	100.0%	8 (2.1%)	340 (87.4%)	33 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	6.1	256^th of 263 public middle schools	2.7%		15.6	232^nd of 265 public middle schools	12.5%	24		17.5	11.7	21.7		23.0	23.7	9.3	85.7		24.7		$17,184
Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	3655 Livingston Road	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(769) 228-0042	704	56	12.5	99.6%	6 (0.9%)	685 (97.3%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2	262^nd of 263 public middle schools	0.4%		4.9	258^th of 265 public middle schools	2.6%	4		13.9	9.1	8.4		11.1	11.7	7.8			17.5		$16,140
Blackburn Middle School	Public	6-8	1311 West Pearl Street	Jackson	39203	Hinds County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5329	317	43	7.3	99.7%	2 (0.6%)	310 (97.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	4	260^th of 263 public middle schools	1.1%		4.6	259^th of 265 public middle schools	2.3%	1		15.1	9.7	18.5		11.0	16.6	15.6	91.6		21.9		$16,571
Madison Middle School	Public	6-8	1365 Mannsdale Road	Madison	39110	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 605-4171	1,180	96	12.2	25.2%	739 (62.6%)	292 (24.7%)	34 (2.9%)	100 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.3%)	98.1	1^st of 263 public middle schools	99.6%		97.9	1^st of 265 public middle schools	99.6%			79.0	71.0	73.9		84.3	90.3	88.0	100.0		86.2	100.0	$12,017
Germantown Middle	Public	6-8	439 Calhoun Station Parkway	Madison	39110	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(601) 859-0376	1,008	71	14.1	28.6%	533 (52.9%)	389 (38.6%)	27 (2.7%)	45 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.3%)	92.4	7^th of 263 public middle schools	97.3%		91.6	10^th of 265 public middle schools	96.2%	3		71.2	57.4	64.6		70.3	78.9	69.3	99.1		78.2	94.2	$10,272

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Middle School?

Students at Northwest Middle School are 52% White, 33% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Northwest Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,352 students attended Northwest Middle School.

Is Northwest Middle School a good school?

Northwest Middle School ranks 48^th of 263 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Northwest Middle School in?

Rankin County School District

What high school do graduates of Northwest Middle School attend?

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

Rate Northwest Middle School!

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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.