Powell Middle School

Powell Middle School operates as a substantial middle school in Jackson, Mississippi, operated by Jackson Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 704 students spanning grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 452 students per school, that is 56% larger than typical.

Within Jackson Public Schools, which oversees 35 schools and 16,870 students, Powell Middle School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Powell Middle School shows that nearly all students (97%) are Black. By comparison, Hinds County as a whole is about 72% Black, so the school skews noticeably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Powell Middle School shows 56 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.5:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.7:1 average. An estimated 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Hinds County runs at roughly 88%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Powell Middle School is in the bottom 10% of Mississippi public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 44.3%; Powell Middle School posts 15.2%, -29.1 points below that line.

Around the school, census data for Hinds County shows median household earnings sit near $49,402, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 17%. Powell Middle School is one of 84 public schools in Hinds County (combined enrollment of about 32,870 students).

The closest other public school is SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 0.6 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Powell Middle School.

Powell Middle School operates from a city-core location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 72%: 409 students in 2018 compared to 704 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Powell Middle School typically covers fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.