Bolton-edwards Elem./middle School, Bolton MS

Original Research by School Decision on Bolton-edwards Elem./middle School

Bolton-Edwards Elementary Middle School sits in the town of Bolton, a very small community along Interstate 20 between Jackson and Vicksburg. The town describes itself as quiet and family-friendly, with roots as a farming settlement and an industrial park that benefits from direct highway access. Bolton has been losing population over recent census cycles, and the most recent estimates continue that downward drift. Publicly reported sources point to modest household incomes and a elevated poverty rate. No major residential construction projects were identified, so the housing stock is largely what has been in place for some time. Home values here run well below the state benchmark and far below the national one, making ownership relatively accessible for families with steady income, though rental data was not available. The town is small enough that car dependency is a practical reality; no walkability information turned up in available searches, but the rural setting and highway-oriented layout make that a reasonable expectation.

The school serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and operates within the Hinds County School District. It is a traditional public school, neither a charter nor a magnet. The student body is small for a combined elementary and middle school, and nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is predominantly Black, with small shares of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students. We looked for data on English learners and students with individualized education programs but found none reported, so those figures are left out rather than estimated. Students in younger grades attend school here in Bolton, but once they reach high school age they move on to Raymond High School in the neighboring town of Raymond, which means a commute to another community for older siblings.

State assessment results come from the MAAP, covering math and English language arts in grades three through eight and science in grades five and eight. The picture across grades is uneven. Third grade math stands out as a relative bright spot, with a solid share of students reaching proficiency. That level does not hold into fourth and fifth grade, where math proficiency drops sharply. Middle grades show some recovery, with sixth and seventh grade math climbing back to moderate levels before easing in eighth. English language arts follows a different rhythm, hovering in a modest range across most grades, with fifth and eighth grade showing the strongest results. Science is the most consistent subject, with both tested grades landing near the upper end of what the school posts across subjects, close to half of tested students reaching proficiency in each case. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is hard to say whether these patterns represent a shift or a steady state. Participation rates were not reported.

Bolton itself offers a handful of civic anchors. The Annie Thompson Jeffers Library, part of the Jackson/Hinds Library System, is located in town, and Bolton Town Hall handles basic municipal services. The industrial park along I-20 serves as an economic feature, though no specific major employers were identified by name in available sources. We searched for recent district-level changes that might affect families and found little of lasting impact, so that section is left out rather than filled with speculation. No data was provided on course access, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, discipline, or Title I status, and the school's locale classification was not included in the payload.

For a parent weighing this school, the academic results suggest a place where early-grade math and science are relative strengths, while fourth and fifth grade math is an area where proficiency falls off and a parent may want to look into this further with the school. The transition to Raymond High School for upper grades is a structural reality that shapes the experience for Bolton families. Housing here is among the more affordable in the region, and the community is small, rural, and highway-connected. Whether that combination fits a family depends on what kind of environment and academic pathway they are seeking for their children.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 51% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 40% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 48% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 38% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 50% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 43% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 40% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 41% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 50% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 39% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 29% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Science

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 73% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 848%

School 48% · District 56% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolHINDS CO SCHOOL DIST, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.