The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Science. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin County Middle School
Franklin County Middle School sits on Edison Street in Meadville, the county seat of Franklin County, Mississippi. It is a two-grade school serving seventh and eighth graders, small enough that each grade level forms a single cohort. The student body is roughly evenly split between white and Black students, with only a handful from other backgrounds. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of this rural county. The school is part of the Franklin County School District and is a traditional public school, neither a charter nor a magnet. We looked for information on Title I status, staffing ratios, course offerings, discipline data, and attendance but found little in the available sources, so those dimensions go unnamed here rather than guessed.
On the most recent Mississippi Academic Assessment Program results, the school's strongest subject by a wide margin is science. Eighth-grade science proficiency runs well above what the school posts in math and English language arts, and it is the one area where a clear majority of tested students reached proficient or higher. Math and ELA results tell a different story. Both seventh and eighth graders landed in a similar range for math proficiency, with roughly a third of students meeting the proficiency bar. English language arts was close behind in seventh grade and somewhat stronger in eighth grade, but still fell short of a majority. These are not unusual numbers for a high-poverty rural middle school, but they are also not strong, and a parent weighing this school may want to ask the administration how instruction is structured in math and reading and what interventions are available for students who arrive below grade level.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether performance is improving, holding steady, or slipping. Participation rates were also missing from the data we received. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so we cannot describe how the school serves those populations.
Meadville itself is a very small rural town that developed as a trading center for the surrounding agricultural county. Publicly reported sources describe a community shaped by its role as county seat, with City Hall on Main Street, churches, and local organizations anchoring civic life. U.S. Routes 98 and 84 bypass the town to the south, which keeps highway traffic out of the center but also means the town relies heavily on cars. No dedicated walkability scores or descriptions of street life turned up in available sources, and the town's small footprint and rural setting point to a low-density, car-dependent environment. The Homochitto River runs through the county and offers a nearby natural anchor for outdoor activity. Meadville sits within a short drive of Brookhaven, McComb, and Natchez, which gives residents access to larger towns for shopping, healthcare, and employment. The town's population peaked decades ago and has since declined or stayed flat, though local government expresses interest in future growth. No specific new housing developments or construction projects were identified in available sources.
Housing here is inexpensive relative to state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code run well below the Mississippi median and far below the national median, and the price-to-income ratio sits below the national level, meaning that for families with steady income, homeownership is relatively attainable. No rental data was available for this area. The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes such as recent referendums, curriculum shifts, facility projects, or property tax adjustments.
For a family considering this school, the picture is straightforward. It is a small, rural, high-poverty middle school where science stands out as a relative strength while math and reading proficiency remain modest. The community is quiet, affordable, and rooted in its county-seat identity, with larger towns a short drive away for what Meadville itself does not offer.
See more original research from School Decision →