Kirksey Middle School

Q: Is Kirksey Middle School a good school?

Kirksey Middle School ranks 190 th of 264 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Kirksey Middle School is a public middle school located in Jackson, Mississippi, serving 247 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Jackson Public School District, which is ranked 110 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Kirksey Middle School has a predominantly African American student population, with over 97% of students identifying as such in the 2022-2023 school year.

Kirksey Middle School faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, ranking, and student demographics. The school's test scores, as measured by the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 24.1% to 30%, compared to the state average of 39.7% to 42%. In mathematics, the proficiency rates ranged from 34.5% to 47.1%, while the state average was 51.8% to 57.2%. Kirksey Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Mississippi middle schools, with a ranking between 190 and 234 out of 264 schools over the past 10 years, and has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state.

While Kirksey Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.8 to 11.7 students per teacher over the past three school years, this advantage does not seem to be translating into improved academic outcomes. When comparing Kirksey Middle School to other nearby schools in the Jackson Public School District, such as Northwest Middle School and Bailey Middle Apac School, it becomes evident that Kirksey Middle School is underperforming. Addressing the root causes of the school's underperformance, such as the impact of poverty on student learning, will be crucial in order to help Kirksey Middle School improve and better serve its students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5677 Highland Dr
Jackson, MS 39206

(601) 987-8360

District: Jackson Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
190^th of 264 Mississippi Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,882

Students who attend Kirksey Middle School usually attend:

High:

Callaway High School

Feeder schools for Kirksey Middle School:

Elementary:

North Jackson Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.7

Number of students: 247

Racial breakdown:

African American:

98.0%

Two or more races:

1.2%

White:

0.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Kirksey Middle School ranks worse than 72% of middle schools in Mississippi. It also ranks 3^rd among 9 ranked middle schools in the Jackson Public School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.16. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (98%), two or more races (1.2%), Hispanic (0.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Jackson Public School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kirksey Middle School is 10.7. 5 middle schools in the Jackson Public School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Kirksey Middle School employs 23 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kirksey Middle School is $16,882, which is the 2^nd highest among 9 middle schools in the Jackson Public School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Kirksey Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Kirksey Middle School 190^th of 264 Mississippi public middle schools. (See Kirksey Middle School in the ranking list.)

Jackson Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson Public School District 110^th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Kirksey Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MS State Percentile
2012	21.27	228^th	270	15.6%
2013	25.30	213^th	269	20.8%
2014	18.12	234^th	264	11.4%
2015	24.47	206^th	266	22.6%
2016	26.73	186^th	260	28.5%
2017	17.42	225^th	272	17.3%
2018	22.43	196^th	252	22.2%
2019	31.32	179^th	264	32.2%
2021	11.66	231^st	257	10.1%
2022	14.16	224^th	257	12.8%
2023	18.85	204^th	243	16.0%
2024	27.16	190^th	264	28.0%

See the entire list of Mississippi Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Mississippi Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Kirksey Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2011	0	446	1	2	449
2012	0	380	0	2	382
2013	0	400	1	2	403
2014	0	318	0	2	320
2015	1	295	0	2	298
2016	1	306	0	2	309
2017	1	350	1	1	353
2018	0	317	3	0	320
2019	2	309	2	1	314
2020	1	287	1	5	294
2021	0	273	0	9	282
2022	0	247	0	2	249
2023	1	242	1	3	247

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kirksey Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	449	28.9	15.5	90
2012	382	29.0	13.1	88.2
2013	403	22.3	18.0	90.6
2014	320	20.2	15.8	93.1
2015	298	20.0	14.9	100
2016	309	25.0	12.3	100
2017	353	24.1	14.6	100
2018	320	21.5	14.8	100
2019	314	20.7	15.1	100
2020	294	23.8	12.3	100
2021	282	24.0	11.7	100
2022	249	25.2	9.8	100
2023	247	23.0	10.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Kirksey Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	449	28.9	15.5	90
2012	382	29.0	13.1	88.2
2013	403	22.3	18.0	90.6
2014	320	20.2	15.8	93.1
2015	298	20.0	14.9	100
2016	309	25.0	12.3	100
2017	353	24.1	14.6	100
2018	320	21.5	14.8	100
2019	314	20.7	15.1	100
2020	294	23.8	12.3	100
2021	282	24.0	11.7	100
2022	249	25.2	9.8	100
2023	247	23.0	10.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kirksey Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2017	$9,949
2018	$10,455
2019	$10,977
2020	$11,989
2021	$14,326
2022	$16,882

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kirksey Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 179^th of 264 Middle schools	Ranks 204^th of 243 Middle schools	16.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Kirksey Middle School)	13.9	29.2	15.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Jackson Public School District)	17.5	24	6.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	33.6	40.3	6.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Kirksey Middle School)	41.8	28	13.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Jackson Public School District)	24.2	18.5	5.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	47.6	45.5	2.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Kirksey Middle School)	29.8	29.9	0.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Jackson Public School District)	26.3	28.1	1.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	39	40.2	1.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Kirksey Middle School)	48.2	31.4	16.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Jackson Public School District)	29.6	32.5	2.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	51.1	55.6	4.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Kirksey Middle School)	25.5	21.1	4.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Jackson Public School District)	18.3	26.5	8.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)	35.5	40.5	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Kirksey Middle School)	23.5	8.9	14.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Jackson Public School District)	19.5	20	0.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)	44.8	46.1	1.3%
8th Grade Science (Kirksey Middle School)	37.7	31.1	6.6%
8th Grade Science (Jackson Public School District)	27.6	32.6	5%
8th Grade Science (Mississippi)	52.7	53.3	0.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Kirksey Middle School)	63.6	73.4	9.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Jackson Public School District)	15.9	48.3	32.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Mississippi)	49.3	65.8	16.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	314	247	21.3%
African American	309	242	21.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	1	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	2	1	50%
Two or More Races	1	3	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Kirksey Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAAP English Language Arts (2024)				MAAP Mathematics (2024)				MAAP Algebra I (2024)	MAAP Science (2024)		MAAP Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP Science 5th Grade	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
Kirksey Middle School	Public	6-8	5677 Highland Dr	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Jackson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 987-8360	247	23	10.7	100.0%	1 (0.4%)	242 (98.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	27.2	190^th of 264 public middle schools	28.0%		18.9	204^th of 243 public middle schools	16.0%	14		24.1	25.0	30.0		34.5	46.5	47.1	100.0		42.2		$16,882
Chastain Middle School	Public	6-8	4650 Manhattan Road	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Jackson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 987-3550	499	48	10.3	100.0%	11 (2.2%)	457 (91.6%)	24 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	6.9	254^th of 264 public middle schools	3.8%		16.3	214^th of 243 public middle schools	11.9%	40		12.9	20.7	15.0		17.2	24.5	15.8			24.2		$15,321
Joel E. Smilow Prep	Public, Charter	5-8	787 E. Northside Drive	Jackson	39206	Hinds County	Joel E. Smillow Prep	Yes	No	No	Yes	(769) 524-5330	577	40	14.4	100.0%	3 (0.5%)	574 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.8	197^th of 264 public middle schools	25.4%		18.2	208^th of 243 public middle schools	14.4%	11	35.2	18.8	24.3	30.7	34.5	10.4	37.3	57.3		67.3	47.6		$11,532
Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	3655 Livingston Road	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 987-3580	320	33	9.7	100.0%	1 (0.3%)	314 (98.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	3.6	262^nd of 264 public middle schools	0.8%		5.4	241^st of 243 public middle schools	0.8%	21		10.5	15.5	12.9		4.0	14.3	16.7			18.8		$15,619
Bailey Middle Apac School	Public	6-8	1900 N State Street	Jackson	39202	Hinds County	Jackson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 987-5343	247	25	10.0	100.0%	13 (5.3%)	225 (91.1%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	89	23^rd of 264 public middle schools	91.3%		91.1	12^th of 243 public middle schools	95.1%	11		57.1	64.8	70.0		73.6	71.7	63.8	100.0		82.5		$15,190
Old Town Middle	Public	6-8	210 Sunnybrook Road	Ridgeland	39157	Madison County	Madison County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 898-8730	707	56	12.5	99.6%	65 (9.2%)	467 (66.1%)	137 (19.4%)	17 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)								(n/a)													$11,902
Northwest Middle School	Public	6-8	7020 Highway 49 N	Jackson	39213	Hinds County	Jackson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 987-3609	206	23	9.0	100.0%	1 (0.5%)	198 (96.1%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	89.3	20^th of 264 public middle schools	92.4%		91.9	9^th of 243 public middle schools	96.3%	11		68.6	94.2	65.7		78.6	91.2	57.9	100.0		67.2		$20,269
Blackburn Middle School	Public	6-8	1311 W Pearl Street	Jackson	39203	Hinds County	Jackson Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(601) 960-5329	614	48	12.8	100.0%	2 (0.3%)	602 (98.0%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	4.1	261^st of 264 public middle schools	1.1%		6.3	238^th of 243 public middle schools	2.1%	23		9.3	9.5	17.0		8.0	16.7	18.4			24.1		$13,813
Madison Middle School	Public	6-8	1365 Mannsdale Road	Madison	39110	Madison County	Madison County School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 605-4171	1,154	96	11.9	99.7%	687 (59.5%)	307 (26.6%)	28 (2.4%)	97 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	32 (2.8%)	97.4	1^st of 264 public middle schools	99.6%		95.9	4^th of 243 public middle schools	98.4%	3		72.4	73.6	73.9		82.2	86.9	90.8	100.0		88.9	100.0	$11,430
Pearl Junior High School	Public	6-8	200 Mary Ann Drive	Pearl	39208	Rankin County	Pearl Public School District	No	No	No	No	(601) 932-7952	1,001	69	14.4	99.7%	434 (43.4%)	416 (41.6%)	74 (7.4%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.6%)	66 (6.6%)	50.5	130^th of 264 public middle schools	50.8%		53.1	106^th of 243 public middle schools	56.4%	24		38.4	37.9	38.0		47.4	55.8	48.8	100.0		56.8		$9,631

Frequently Asked Questions about Kirksey Middle School

What district is Kirksey Middle School in?

Jackson Public School District

Is Kirksey Middle School a good school?

Kirksey Middle School ranks 190^th of 264 Mississippi middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Kirksey Middle School?

Students at Kirksey Middle School are 98% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Kirksey Middle School attend?

Students who attend Kirksey Middle School usually go on to attend Callaway High School

How many students attend Kirksey Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 247 students attended Kirksey Middle School.

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