Hernando, Lewisburg among top-ranked middle schools in state

You typically see rankings about where the best high schools, colleges and universities are in the state or nation, but U.S. News has now released its rankings of the best middle schools and two schools in DeSoto County are ranked among the top in its class in Mississippi.

The two schools mentioned are Hernando Middle School and Lewisburg Middle School, with Hernando Middle ranked fourth in Mississippi and Lewisburg just below the top five at number six.

In ranking Hernando Middle School, U.S. News noted that 75 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 57 percent scored at or above that level for reading. The school’s minority student enrollment is 25 percent and the student-teacher ratio is 15-to-1.

In describing Lewisburg Middle, the report said 83 percent of its students scored at or above the proficient level for math and 56 percent scored at or above that level for reading. Minorities make up 20 percent of the school population and the student-teacher ratio is 16-to-1.

In making the rankings, schools were assessed on their shares of students who were proficient or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments. Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. In other words, the top-ranked schools are all high-achieving and have succeeded at educating all their students.

According to the report, North Woolmarket Elementary and Middle School in Harrison County is the top-ranked middle school in Mississippi, followed by Petal Middle, Ocean Springs Middle, Hernando Middle, and Clinton Junior High School.

The report from U.S. World News may be read on its website.