Summary:
Zip code 39208 is served by a single public middle school, Pearl Junior High School, which enrolls 944 students in grades 6–8 within the Pearl Public Schools district, a mid-tier Mississippi district with a 3-star rating.
As the only middle school in the area, Pearl Junior High is the sole driver of the district's middle-level results, and its performance is a mixed bag. The school ranks 104th out of 260 Mississippi middle schools (60th percentile, 3 stars) and has improved its ranking for three consecutive years, from 130th to 115th to 104th. Its biggest bright spot is Algebra I, where 97.8% of students are proficient, dramatically outpacing the state's 66% average—though this likely reflects a select group of advanced students. Sixth-grade performance is also strong, with math proficiency at 60.5% and ELA at 52.1%, both above state averages. On the downside, 7th graders struggle in both subjects, with math proficiency at 47.8% versus the state's 57.7% and ELA at 34.3% versus 36.7%. Eighth-grade science (54.8%) and math (49.8%) also trail state averages. Year-over-year changes are uneven: 6th-grade ELA improved by 12.6 points, while 8th-grade math dropped 9.1 points, pointing to inconsistent cohort performance.
Economically, about 71% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating significant disadvantage, yet the school still posts above-average results in several areas. Chronic absenteeism is a moderate concern at 22.6%, slightly above the district rate of 19.9% but just below the state's 23.9%. With a favorable 13:1 student-teacher ratio and a clear upward ranking trend, Pearl Junior High is a solidly mid-tier school with strong advanced-math offerings and a recent trajectory of improvement, though targeted support for 7th grade and attendance could yield meaningful gains.
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