Summary:
Zip code 39563 contains just one public middle school, Magnolia Middle School in the Moss Point School District, serving grades 6-8 with 359 students. All students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with very high economic need, and the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.4, which supports smaller class sizes.
Because it is the only middle school in the district, Magnolia's proficiency rates are identical to the district's in every subject and grade, making school and district performance synonymous. The school's clear strength is mathematics, particularly in 7th grade, where 56.2% of students are proficient—just 1.5 points below the state average of 57.7%. Math scores also improved sharply year over year, with 7th grade rising 11.3 points and 8th grade rising 13.5 points. English Language Arts is the persistent weakness, with proficiency in the mid-20s for 7th and 8th grades and a 12-to-13-point gap versus the state in every grade. The largest single gap is 6th grade math, where just 31% of students are proficient compared to 52.7% statewide.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism: 38.3% of students are chronically absent, far above the state average of 23.9%. This likely suppresses test scores and academic growth. The school ranks in the bottom third of Mississippi middle schools (28th percentile, 1 star), though its percentile improved slightly from last year. 8th grade science is a relative bright spot at 45.9% proficiency, but it slipped slightly from the prior year. Overall, Magnolia Middle is a high-poverty school making notable math gains while still struggling with attendance and literacy. Reducing chronic absenteeism and strengthening ELA instruction, especially in 6th grade, are the clearest priorities for improvement.
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