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Laurel Middle School

Summary:

Laurel Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Laurel School District in Laurel, Mississippi, with a student population of 555 that is predominantly African American.

Laurel Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Mississippi middle schools, receiving a 1-star rating out of 5 in recent years. The school's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better on state exams, is significantly below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 21% of 7th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 40.8%. In mathematics, the proficiency rates were 33.8% for 7th grade and 20.1% for 8th grade, compared to state averages of 57.2% and 55.3%, respectively. This persistent academic underperformance is a key concern for the school.

Laurel Middle School also faces socioeconomic challenges, with a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate, indicating that all students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is a key differentiating factor compared to the nearby Heidelberg Junior High School, which also has a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate. Additionally, Laurel Middle School's spending per student is lower than the nearby Laurel Upper Elementary School, and the school has a higher student-teacher ratio compared to Heidelberg Junior High and Laurel Upper Elementary, which may contribute to its academic challenges.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 1600 Grandview Drive
       Laurel, MS  39440

(601) 428-5312

District: Laurel School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
220th of 264 Mississippi Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,506 Help


Students who attend Laurel Middle School usually attend:

High:    Laurel High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.1 Help
Number of students:  380

Racial breakdown:

African American:
81.1%
Hispanic:
14.2%
Two or more races:
3.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Laurel Middle School ranks worse than 83.3% of middle schools in Mississippi. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.03. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (81.1%), Hispanic (14.2%), two or more races (3.2%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Laurel Middle School is 15.1. (See more...)
Help
Compare Laurel Middle School employs 25.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Laurel Middle School is $11,506.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Laurel Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Laurel Middle School 220th of 264 Mississippi public middle schools. (See Laurel Middle School in the ranking list.)

Laurel School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Laurel School District 87th of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Laurel Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 31.14 206th 264 22.0%
2012 21.35 226th 270 16.3%
2013 46.47 152nd 269 43.5%
2014 31.01 190th 264 28.0%
2015 18.48 222nd 266 16.5%
2016 23.69 201st 260 22.7%
2017 21.24 213th 272 21.7%
2018 14.45 220th 252 12.7%
2019 13.01 231st 264 12.5%
2021 16.14 213th 257 17.1%
2022 19.48 209th 257 18.7%
2023 18.52 206th 243 15.2%
2024 18.03 220th 264 16.7%
See the entire list of Mississippi Middle School Rankings!

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

Laurel Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Laurel Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 32 588 1 28 0 0 0 0 649
2011 23 644 1 25 0 0 0 0 693
2012 19 646 1 23 0 0 0 0 689
2013 23 621 1 27 1 0 2 0 675
2014 25 602 4 30 0 0 4 0 665
2015 28 595 2 36 0 0 2 0 663
2016 23 566 3 46 0 0 6 0 644
2017 12 543 1 45 0 0 5 0 606
2018 12 555 4 46 0 0 6 0 623
2019 20 598 3 61 0 0 12 0 694
2020 16 590 1 70 1 0 5 0 683
2021 10 552 1 75 1 0 6 0 645
2022 9 468 1 77 1 0 6 0 562
2023 11 456 1 75 1 0 11 0 555
2024 6 308 0 54 0 0 12 0 380

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 Laurel Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 649 53.9 12.0 91.4
2011 693 45.5 15.2 91.3
2012 689 46.7 14.7 94.5
2013 675 42.4 15.9 93
2014 665 43.7 15.1 92.9
2015 663 43.0 15.4 100
2016 644 45.0 14.3 100
2017 606 39.8 15.2 100
2018 623 33.7 18.4 100
2019 694 39.3 17.6 100
2020 683 46.0 14.8 100
2021 645 44.3 14.5 100
2022 562 40.7 13.7 100
2023 555 35.7 15.5 100
2024 380 25.1 15.1 100

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 Laurel Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 649 53.9 12.0 91.4
2011 693 45.5 15.2 91.3
2012 689 46.7 14.7 94.5
2013 675 42.4 15.9 93
2014 665 43.7 15.1 92.9
2015 663 43.0 15.4 100
2016 644 45.0 14.3 100
2017 606 39.8 15.2 100
2018 623 33.7 18.4 100
2019 694 39.3 17.6 100
2020 683 46.0 14.8 100
2021 645 44.3 14.5 100
2022 562 40.7 13.7 100
2023 555 35.7 15.5 100
2024 380 25.1 15.1 100

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 Laurel Middle School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2017 $7,589
2018 $5,648
2019 $9,172
2020 $9,148
2021 $10,205
2022 $11,506

Data source: Mississippi Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Laurel 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 231st of 264 Middle schoolsRanks 206th of 243 Middle schools
 2.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Laurel Middle School)1417.4
 3.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Laurel School District)1429.4
 15.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)33.640.3
 6.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Laurel Middle School)2012.2
 7.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Laurel School District)2027.6
 7.6%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)47.645.5
 2.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Laurel Middle School)19.630
 10.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Laurel School District)19.630
 10.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)3940.2
 1.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Laurel Middle School)34.635.2
 0.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Laurel School District)34.635.2
 0.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)51.155.6
 4.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Laurel Middle School)13.525
 11.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Laurel School District)13.525
 11.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)35.540.5
 5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Laurel Middle School)11.418.7
 7.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Laurel School District)11.418.7
 7.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)44.846.1
 1.3%
8th Grade Science (Laurel Middle School)20.836
 15.2%
   8th Grade Science (Laurel School District)20.836
 15.2%
   8th Grade Science (Mississippi)52.753.3
 0.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students694555
 20%
African American598456
 23.7%
American Indian01
Asian31
 66.7%
Hispanic6175
 23%
Pacific Islander00
White2011
 45%
Two or More Races1211
 8.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%

Schools Near Laurel Middle School








Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel Middle School

Students who attend Laurel Middle School usually go on to attend Laurel High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 380 students attended Laurel Middle School.

Laurel Middle School ranks in the bottom 16.7% of Mississippi middle schools.

Students at Laurel Middle School are 81% African American, 14% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% White.


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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.




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