The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sulphur Ms
Sulphur Middle School sits within the Sulphur Public Schools district and serves students in grades six through eight. The school is located at West Ninth Street in Sulphur, a small city in Murray County that serves as the county seat. The community has a stable population and an economy rooted in tourism, anchored by the Chickasaw Nation’s enterprises including the Artesian Hotel and the Chickasaw Cultural Center, as well as the nearby Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The town experienced a destructive tornado in April 2024 that caused extensive damage to school buildings, including Sulphur Middle School. The district has been operating in a mix of repaired and temporary facilities, with rebuilding efforts expected to continue into 2026 and beyond.
This middle school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial share of American Indian or Alaska Native students, smaller shares of Hispanic and two-or-more-races students, and very small numbers of Black and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a three-grade middle school.
State assessment results from the 2024-2025 school year show that proficiency rates in mathematics and English language arts were below the midpoint for most tested grades. In sixth-grade math, roughly a quarter of students scored proficient or above. Seventh-grade math proficiency was slightly lower, and in eighth grade the rate was lower still. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: roughly a third of sixth graders met the proficient bar, about one in five seventh graders did, and roughly one in nine eighth graders did. Because the state changed cut scores for the assessment, these results should not be directly compared with prior years. Eighth-grade science fared somewhat better, with about a third of students scoring proficient or above. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the three districts in Murray County, suggesting that while individual subject rates are modest, the school performs relatively well within its local context.
The school is a traditional public school and is not a charter or magnet. Data on the share of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, as well as counts of students with disabilities and English learners, were not available. Similarly, information on programs, course access, discipline, staffing, and attendance was not reported in the available data.
Parents and residents considering Sulphur Middle School will find a school that reflects its small-town setting and is currently operating in a recovery context following a natural disaster. The academic proficiency rates are generally on the lower side in mathematics and reading, though science performance is a relative bright spot. Anyone evaluating the school will want to ask about the current facility situation and how the rebuilding timeline affects daily operations. Prospective families should also seek direct information on the school’s elective offerings, support services, and extracurricular programs, since those details were not covered in this data.
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