Okolona Middle School

Summary:

Okolona Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Okolona, Mississippi, with a student population of 124. The school is part of the Okolona Separate School District, which is ranked 93 out of 130 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The student body is predominantly African American, making up over 95% of the population.

Okolona Middle School faces significant academic challenges, consistently performing well below the state average on standardized tests across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.4% of 6th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 39.7%. The school's math and science proficiency rates also lag significantly behind the state. Additionally, Okolona Middle School has extremely high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 97.71% to 100% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Milam Elementary School and Amory Middle School, Okolona Middle School is clearly underperforming academically. For instance, in 2023-2024, Amory Middle School had 68.1% of 6th graders proficient or better in math, compared to just 25% at Okolona Middle School. This suggests the students at Okolona Middle School are not receiving the same level of educational opportunities as their peers in nearby districts.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 404 Howard Gunn Street
       Okolona, MS  38860


(662) 447-2362

District: Okolona Separate School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
199th of 264 Mississippi Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,267 Help


Students who attend Okolona Middle School usually attend:

High:    Okolona High School

Feeder schools for Okolona Middle School:

Elementary:    Okolona Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  8.7 Help
Number of students:  124

Racial breakdown:

African American:
95.2%
Two or more races:
2.4%
White:
0.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated Mississippi middle schools

 Compare Okolona Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Okolona Middle School ranks worse than 75.4% of middle schools in Mississippi. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.62. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (95.2%), two or more races (2.4%), Asian (0.8%). (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 Okolona Middle School is 8.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Okolona Middle School employs 14.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Okolona Middle School is $10,267.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Okolona Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Okolona Middle School 199th of 264 Mississippi public middle schools. (See Okolona Middle School in the ranking list.)

Okolona Separate School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Okolona Separate School District 93rd of 130 Mississippi school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Okolona Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 37.35 164th 264 37.9%
2021 24.49 186th 257 27.6%
2022 17.82 211th 257 17.9%
2023 20.71 195th 243 19.8%
2024 24.62 199th 264 24.6%
See the entire list of Mississippi Middle School Rankings!

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

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





Data source: Mississippi Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Okolona Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2019 5 126 0 1 0 0 3 0 135
2020 6 131 0 1 0 0 2 0 140
2021 5 123 3 1 0 0 3 0 135
2022 2 123 3 0 0 0 3 0 131
2023 1 118 1 1 0 0 3 0 124

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 Okolona Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2019 135 10.3 13.0 100
2020 140 9.8 14.1 100
2021 135 12.6 10.6 100
2022 131 14.5 9.0 97.7
2023 124 14.2 8.7 100

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 Okolona Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2019 135 10.3 13.0 100
2020 140 9.8 14.1 100
2021 135 12.6 10.6 100
2022 131 14.5 9.0 97.7
2023 124 14.2 8.7 100

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 Okolona Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,144 (11.1%) $9,122 (88.8%) $10,267

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Okolona 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 164th of 264 Middle schoolsRanks 195th of 243 Middle schools
 18.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Okolona Middle School)15.131.7
 16.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Okolona Separate School District)15.131.7
 16.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)33.640.3
 6.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Okolona Middle School)47.124.4
 22.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Okolona Separate School District)47.124.4
 22.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)47.645.5
 2.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Okolona Middle School)26.719.5
 7.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Okolona Separate School District)26.719.5
 7.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)3940.2
 1.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Okolona Middle School)52.341.5
 10.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Okolona Separate School District)52.341.5
 10.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)51.155.6
 4.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Okolona Middle School)17.419.5
 2.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Okolona Separate School District)17.419.5
 2.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Mississippi)35.540.5
 5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Okolona Middle School)23.915
 8.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Okolona Separate School District)23.915
 8.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Mississippi)44.846.1
 1.3%
8th Grade Science (Okolona Middle School)56.539
 17.5%
   8th Grade Science (Okolona Separate School District)56.539
 17.5%
   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 Students135124
 8.1%
African American126118
 6.3%
American Indian00
Asian01
Hispanic11
Pacific Islander00
White51
 80%
Two or More Races33
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Okolona Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 124 students attended Okolona Middle School.

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

Okolona Middle School ranks in the bottom 24.6% of Mississippi middle schools.

Students at Okolona Middle School are 95% African American, 2% Two or more races.


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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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