Rod Paige Middle School

Rod Paige Middle School is an intimate intermediate school in Monticello, Mississippi, one of the schools within Lawrence County School District. The school enrolls 191 students in grades 6 through 8. That puts it 58% below the typical public school in Mississippi, which averages around 452 students.

Lawrence County School District runs 5 schools in total, collectively educating 1,674 students. Rod Paige Middle School is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Rod Paige Middle School records that 47% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 41% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 32%.

Looking at school resources, The school lists 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 9.8:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.7:1 average. An estimated 82% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Lawrence County indicate median household earnings sit near $43,531, roughly 13% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Lawrence County runs 6 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,674 students), of which Rod Paige Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Lawrence County High School, roughly 1.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Rod Paige Middle School has decreased 44%, going from 344 students in 2018 to 191 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment climbed from 1% to 8% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.9:1 in 2018 to 9.8:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.