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Sussex Central Middle

Public Grades 6-8

341^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 18% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Sussex Central Middle is a small, rural middle school in Sussex County, Virginia, serving 238 students in grades 6–8 within the Sussex County Public Schools district. It is a high-poverty school—nearly every student (99.58%) qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25, the highest rate among nearby middle schools. The school stands out for its exceptionally low student-to-teacher ratio of 9.4, roughly half that of larger neighboring schools, and it spends over $11,000 per student, a figure comparable to or higher than many nearby districts.

Academically, Sussex Central Middle presents a split profile. Reading is a clear strength: 7th-grade reading proficiency (72.84%) nearly matched the state average (73.01%), and 6th-grade reading came in close behind at 68.42%. Eighth-graders taking Algebra I have posted 94–100% proficiency in recent years, meeting or exceeding the state average. However, general math and science scores lag significantly, with math proficiency in the mid-30s and science at 44.74%—both well below state benchmarks. Compared to nearby schools, Sussex Central outperforms Vernon Johns Middle by wide margins in both reading and math (for example, 68.42% vs. 32.87% in 6th-grade reading), and is competitive with Southampton Middle in several subjects. J.E.J. Moore Middle, which serves a wealthier population, outperforms Sussex in most subjects—a reminder that poverty concentration plays a major role in outcomes.

One of the most encouraging trends is attendance: chronic absenteeism fell from 29.7% in 2022–23 to 16.5% in 2024–25, now close to the state average and dramatically better than Vernon Johns' 42.4%. That said, the 2025–26 school year marked a step backward, as the school's state ranking dropped from the 38th to the 18th percentile, with declines across nearly all student subgroups. The school's ability to build on its reading and Algebra I strengths, extend gains into math and science, and maintain its improved attendance will be critical to reversing that recent decline.

238

Students ?

9.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,219

Per pupil spending ?

99.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

21356 Sussex Drive
Sussex, VA 23882

(434) 246-2251

District: Sussex County Public Schools

Students who attend Sussex Central Middle usually attend:

High:

Sussex Central High

Feeder schools for Sussex Central Middle:

Elementary:

Sussex Central Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.5%

White:

22.7%

Hispanic:

8.4%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 18th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (55% vs 68% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg54%

Virginia avg68%

341^st of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

108^th of 131Sussex County Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	341 of 416	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.4	260 of 419	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	304 of 417	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.3	283 of 422	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.2	218 of 415	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.4	359 of 419	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.9	203 of 424	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.6	227 of 413	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.7	279 of 415	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.5	315 of 409	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.5	308 of 412	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	227 of 297	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.6	137 of 297	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.1	185 of 299	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.0	131 of 298	56.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.4	298 of 409	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	46.8	239 of 403	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.7	285 of 407	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.1	276 of 411	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.3	284 of 401	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	59.8	157 of 403	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.4	232 of 402	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	19.4	365 of 410	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.2	274 of 404	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	291 of 407	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.9	275 of 409	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.5	214 of 400	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.7	169 of 400	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.3	300 of 396	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.4	314 of 402	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)46th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)29th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)27th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2026)24th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)11th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I95%~ state avg

English Reading67%-6 vs state

Civics and Economics63%-12 vs state

Science45%-20 vs state

Mathematics36%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sussex Central Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL Earth Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sussex Central Middle	Public	6-8	21356 Sussex Drive	Sussex	23882	Sussex County	Sussex County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 246-2251	238	25	9.4	99.6%	54 (22.7%)	156 (65.5%)	20 (8.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.1%)	26.8	341^st of 416 public middle schools	18.0%		43.4	260^th of 419 public middle schools	37.9%	81			94.7	34.5	37.1	36.8	44.7		68.4	72.8	60.5	63.2	$11,219	$00	$11,219
J.E.J. Moore Middle	Public	6-8	11455 Prince George Dr	Disputanta	23842	Prince George County	Prince George County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 733-2740	1,387	68	20.4	39.6%	589 (42.5%)	457 (32.9%)	220 (15.9%)	9 (0.6%)	10 (0.7%)	11 (0.8%)	91 (6.6%)	55	202^nd of 416 public middle schools	51.4%		59	183^rd of 419 public middle schools	56.3%	19	100.0	100.0	100.0	62.7	63.2	63.3	63.0	≥ 50%	73.9	71.1	72.0	74.5	$11,435	$401	$11,033
Southampton Middle	Public	6-8	23450 Southampton Pkwy	Courtland	23837	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 653-9250	497	36	13.7	92.0%	258 (51.9%)	193 (38.8%)	18 (3.6%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.2%)	24.1	353^rd of 416 public middle schools	15.1%		21.9	361^st of 419 public middle schools	13.8%	8	409.0	442.0	74.2	41.7	36.2	27.7	59.8		57.3	62.1	70.3	66.7	$7,783	$598	$7,185
Vernon Johns Middle	Public	6-8	3101 Homestead Drive	Petersburg	23805	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7020	949	61	15.5	92.4%	49 (5.2%)	785 (82.7%)	107 (11.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	5.6	404^th of 416 public middle schools	2.9%		2	414^th of 419 public middle schools	1.2%	10	78.6		96.0	16.8	26.3	30.9	35.7		32.9	36.3	39.1	50.0	$10,047	$1,490	$8,556

Frequently Asked Questions about Sussex Central Middle

What high school do graduates of Sussex Central Middle attend?

Students who attend Sussex Central Middle usually go on to attend Sussex Central High

What district is Sussex Central Middle in?

Sussex County Public Schools

How many students attend Sussex Central Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 238 students attended Sussex Central Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Sussex Central Middle?

Students at Sussex Central Middle are 66% African American, 23% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Sussex Central Middle a good school?

Sussex Central Middle ranks in the bottom 18.0% of Virginia middle schools.

Rate Sussex Central Middle!

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Schools in Sussex, VA

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.