Summary:
Zip code 26385 is home to just one middle school, South Harrison Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with an enrollment of 244 students as part of the Harrison County Schools district.
For parents considering this school, the standout feature is its consistent strength in English Language Arts (ELA). The school’s overall ELA proficiency rate of 51.8% outpaces both the district average (49.4%) and the state average (47.6%), and this advantage holds across every grade level—a sign of a school-wide literacy focus. However, mathematics tells a different story. Overall math proficiency sits at 35.5%, which is below both the district (40%) and state (39.4%) averages. Interestingly, the math gap is not uniform: 6th and 7th graders lag behind state averages, but 8th graders actually exceed the district average by nearly 5 points, suggesting the math program may strengthen in later grades or that the current 8th-grade cohort is particularly capable. Science is a potential concern, with 8th-grade proficiency at 28.4%, below both district and state averages, and a notable drop from the prior year’s 34.6%.
The school’s state ranking has been somewhat volatile, moving from the 53rd percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024, up to the 74th percentile (4 stars) in 2024-2025, then settling at the 67th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026. This fluctuation, combined with the mixed subject performance, suggests outcomes are heavily influenced by the specific student cohort each year. On a positive note, the student-teacher ratio of 11.2 is quite low, which can support more individualized attention. Per-student spending was $12,158 in 2018-2019, though this data is dated. Overall, South Harrison Middle School offers a strong literacy foundation but may require additional support in math and science for students who need it.
Thank you for your feedback!