Summary:
Zip code 39212 is served by just one middle school, Peeples Middle School, which enrolls 541 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Jackson Public Schools district, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.
Peeples Middle School is consistently among the lowest-performing middle schools in Mississippi, ranking last in the state in both 2023-2024 and 2025-2026 and in the 2nd percentile in 2024-2025. Proficiency rates are dramatically below both district and state averages: average ELA proficiency is about 10.5% versus 41.9% statewide, while average math proficiency is just 8.6% versus 53.9% statewide. The weakest area is 8th grade math, where only 5.9% of students are proficient compared to 51.4% statewide. Science is the relative bright spot, with 8th grade science proficiency reaching 17.5% in 2025-2026, though that is still less than one-third of the state’s 57.8% rate. Even compared to its own low-performing district, Peeples trails significantly, sitting more than 16 points below the district average in math.
Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: 35.1% of students were chronically absent in 2023-2024, well above the district’s 30.1% and the state’s 23.9%. The school has a relatively favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.6:1, yet this has not translated into academic gains. Year-over-year test scores show no consistent trend, with sharp drops in 6th grade ELA and modest improvements in 7th grade math and 8th grade science, suggesting instability rather than systemic progress. With 100% poverty, severe absenteeism, and near-bottom state rankings, Peeples Middle School faces deep systemic challenges that will require major interventions, particularly around attendance and math instruction, to move the needle.
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