South Delta Middle School

South Delta Middle School in Anguilla, MS, is a small public school serving 138 students in grades 6-8 within the South Delta School District, a district rated 1 star and ranked in the bottom 13% of Mississippi. The school itself currently holds a 2-star rating and ranks 176th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools—a modest improvement over previous years, when it sat near the 24th percentile.

The most compelling story at South Delta is math. Despite 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, 7th grade math proficiency reached 64.7% in 2025–2026, beating the state average of 57.7% and far exceeding Simmons Junior High School in the nearby Hollandale district. Eighth grade math also matched the state average at 51.4%. English Language Arts, however, is the school's biggest weakness: only 11.4% of 8th graders were proficient in ELA, compared to 40.9% statewide and 35.5% at Simmons. Science is another gap, with 44.1% proficient in 2025–2026, well behind the state's 57.8%.

Attendance poses a serious challenge. Chronic absenteeism stands at 33.3%—nearly double Simmons' 19.4% rate and well above the state average of 23.9%. Because grade-level cohorts are small, proficiency rates can swing dramatically from year to year, so single-year numbers should be viewed cautiously. The overall trend is encouraging, though: the school has climbed from the 6th percentile in 2020–2021 to the 32nd percentile today. For parents, the key takeaway is that South Delta has genuine strengths in math instruction, but literacy, science, and attendance will need sustained attention for the school to keep building on its recent progress.