Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 39180

In zip code 39180 (Vicksburg, Mississippi), two middle schools—Warren Central Junior High and Vicksburg Junior High—serve grades 7–8 within the Vicksburg Warren School District, a district ranking near the middle of Mississippi districts. Both schools report 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility, indicating a high concentration of poverty, and both face chronic absenteeism rates far above district and state averages. This context is essential for evaluating their academic performance.

Warren Central Junior High stands out as the stronger school overall. In 2025–2026 it ranked 166th of 260 Mississippi middle schools (36th percentile) with 2 stars, while Vicksburg Junior High ranked 189th (27th percentile) with 1 star. Warren Central posted higher proficiency rates in most subjects, including a standout 50.8% proficiency in 7th grade math in both reporting years, well above the district average and roughly 14 points ahead of Vicksburg. Vicksburg, however, is the improvement story. Its 8th grade science proficiency jumped from 30.9% to 52.3% in one year—surpassing the district average and nearly matching the state—while 8th grade math and ELA each rose by more than 12 points. As a result, the achievement gap between the two schools has narrowed dramatically, from about 13 points in 2024–2025 to under 3 points in 2025–2026.

Despite these differences, neither school reaches the state average in any subject. Warren Central remains competitive with the district, but Vicksburg, despite a lower student-teacher ratio (10.7 vs. 12.1), continues to underperform in most areas. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 40.9% at Warren Central and 37.5% at Vicksburg, compared to 29.2% districtwide and 23.9% statewide. Both schools share the same district and are even located on the same street, yet their trajectories differ—Warren Central has slipped slightly from the 40th percentile three years ago, while Vicksburg has climbed from the 20th percentile to the 27th. For parents, the bottom line is clear: Warren Central is the more consistently high-achieving school, but Vicksburg is improving quickly, and both schools face serious poverty and attendance challenges that affect learning.