Summary:
Zip code 39063 in Durant, Mississippi, is served by a single middle school, Williams-Sullivan Middle School, which enrolls 192 students in grades 6 through 8. Because this is the only middle school in the area, it serves as the sole public option for local families, and its performance directly shapes the educational experience of the entire community. The school is part of the Holmes County Consolidated district, which is a large factor in understanding its overall context.
Williams-Sullivan is a high-poverty school, with 100% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, yet it maintains a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 9.3%—far better than the district's 30.9% and the state's 23.9%. The school's student-teacher ratio is 11.2, allowing for relatively small classes. Academically, the standout area is 8th grade science, where 61.4% of students scored proficient in 2025-2026, exceeding both the district (40.5%) and the state (57.8%). In fact, 8th graders outperformed the district in every tested subject: ELA (26.4% vs. 16.2%), math (33.4% vs. 23.0%), and science (61.4% vs. 40.5%).
However, significant challenges remain in the lower grades. 6th grade proficiency rates are well below state averages—16.4% in ELA versus 48.0% statewide, and 18.0% in math versus 52.7% statewide. Year-to-year scores are volatile, likely reflecting small cohorts; for example, 8th grade science jumped 29.4 points, while 7th grade math dropped 14.8 points. The school's statewide ranking has improved from the 8th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 17th percentile in 2025-2026, though it still sits in the bottom fifth of Mississippi middle schools. For parents, this school offers a supportive, consistently attended environment but shows a clear need for academic support in math and ELA, particularly in 6th and 7th grades.
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