Smilow Prep

Smilow Prep is one of the moderately sized intermediate schools in Jackson, Mississippi, one of the schools within Joel E. Smilow Prep, with 521 students on its rolls from grades 5 through 8.

Operationally, Smilow Prep answers to Joel E. Smilow Prep, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

On demographics, Smilow Prep shows that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (99%). By comparison, Hinds County as a whole is about 72% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, Smilow Prep reports 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 20.0:1. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 100% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Hinds County's rate of about 88%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Hinds County) logs that median household income runs about $49,402, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Hinds County runs 84 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,870 students), of which Smilow Prep is one.

Smilow Collegiate is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The school occupies a metropolitan site. As a public charter, Smilow Prep runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Trend over the last 7 years. Smilow Prep's enrollment has ticked up 82% since 2018, when it stood at 286 (now 521). Class-load math has widened: from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 20.0:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.