Summary:
In zip code 38619, there is just one middle school, North Panola Middle School, serving grades 6–8 in Como, Mississippi, and it belongs to the North Panola district. With an enrollment of 243 students and a student-teacher ratio of 11.8, this school operates in a context of extreme economic need: 98.77% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and the chronic absenteeism rate of 37.3% is far above the state average of 23.9%.
Academically, North Panola Middle School trails Mississippi state averages in every subject and grade on the MAAP assessment. For example, 6th grade math proficiency fell from 27.9% to 18.3% between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, widening the gap to the state to -34.4 points. However, there are relative strengths and positive trends: 7th and 8th grade math proficiency reached 40.0% and 39.7%, respectively, which is roughly double the ELA rates for those grades. The school also saw year-over-year gains in 7th grade math (+8.9 points), 8th grade math (+10.9 points), and 6th grade ELA (+6.1 points). Science proficiency in 8th grade improved slightly but remains about 30 points behind the state.
The school's accountability rating tells a challenging story: it earned 1 star in 2024–2025 but dropped back to 0 stars for 2025–2026, ranking 239 out of 260 Mississippi middle schools (8th percentile). It has remained stuck in the bottom decile for three straight years. Since it is the only middle school in the district, its test scores exactly match district averages. For parents, this means that while North Panola Middle School faces significant systemic challenges tied to poverty and attendance, there are a few bright spots in upper-grade math and some recent improvement worth watching.
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