Murphysboro Middle School

Murphysboro Middle School, a moderately sized middle-grades school in Murphysboro, Illinois, one of the schools within Murphysboro CUSD 186, instructs 422 students, covering grades 6 through 8.

Across the 5 schools in Murphysboro CUSD 186 (1,877 students total), Murphysboro Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Murphysboro Middle School reports that White students make up the majority at 71%; the rest breaks down as 13% Black, 8% Hispanic, 8% multiracial. Compared to Jackson County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting Murphysboro Middle School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 95% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of Jackson County's rate of about 73%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Murphysboro Middle School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 16.4%, the actual is 28.4%, a residual of +12.1 points.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Jackson County indicate median household earnings sit near $48,763, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Jackson County runs 32 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,811 students), of which Murphysboro Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Carruthers Elementary School, roughly 1.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 4 other public schools cluster around Murphysboro Middle School. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Murphysboro Middle School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 27.1%.

The campus sits in a town-based setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Murphysboro Middle School's enrollment has fell 4% since 2018, when it stood at 438 (now 422). Over the same period, the Black share decreased from 18% to 13%. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.6:1 in 2018 to 12.2:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.