Summary:
Zip code 39117, located in Morton, Mississippi, contains just one middle school: Bettye Mae Jack Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 and enrolls 486 students in the Scott County School District.
This school stands out for several positive reasons despite serving an almost universally low-income population (99.38% free/reduced-price lunch). Most remarkably, 100% of 8th graders taking Algebra I scored proficient in 2025–2026, far outpacing the district (69%) and state (66%). Chronic absenteeism is also a bright spot: at 21.4%, it is significantly lower than the district’s 33.6% and even below the statewide 23.9%. Mathematics and science scores improved meaningfully from the prior year, with 5th-grade science jumping from 37.6% to 63.4% proficiency and 8th-grade math rising from 23.0% to 40.2%. These gains suggest that targeted efforts in math and science are beginning to pay off.
However, overall academic performance remains a serious concern. Bettye Mae Jack Middle School ranks in the 11th percentile statewide (232 out of 260 schools) with a 1-star rating, and it significantly underperforms its own district, which is rated at the 60th percentile. English Language Arts is the biggest weakness: proficiency rates declined across most grades, and 7th-grade ELA sits at a critically low 13.5% — fewer than 1 in 7 students is proficient. Scores also show high year-to-year volatility, indicating that cohort differences and instructional changes heavily impact results. While the school’s low absenteeism and exceptional Algebra I performance prove that progress is possible, the persistent ELA gaps and low state ranking make it clear that substantial work remains.
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