The brief
A Joel E. Smillow Prep charter middle school where students score 14 points below what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 740 of 864 schools in Mississippi and 1 of 1 in Joel E. Smillow Prep.
Joel E. Smilow Prep is a charter school: it enrolls by application rather than by address, so check its enrollment process directly before choosing a neighborhood for it.
- 202226%
- 2021*10%
- 2020*10%
- 201921%
- 201821%
- 201717%
* A COVID-affected year: test participation was uneven nationwide, so the model weights it at half.
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2024
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 20% (multi-year average, 2016-2022) · reading/ELA 16% (multi-year average, 2016-2022).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
- Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
- Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 39206; this does not measure the attendance area.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2016-2022; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $41,611
- Median home value
- $117,400
- Median rent
- $1,084/mo
- College educated
- 28.4%
- Homeownership
- 47.1%
- Poverty rate
- 25.5%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 39206; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 55
- Somewhat Walkable
- Transit Score
- 26
- Some Transit
- Bike Score
- 43
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 1,902/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Jackson. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Jackson), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 100%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.- 8.1Compare →
- 8.0Compare →
- 5.9Compare →
- 5.8Compare →
- 5.5Compare →
- Joel E. Smilow Prep4.7
- 4.7Compare →
- 4.2Compare →
- 4.2Compare →
Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Joel E. Smilow Prep serve?
Joel E. Smilow Prep serves students in grades 5th through 8th.
How many students attend Joel E. Smilow Prep?
Joel E. Smilow Prep has an enrollment of approximately 564 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joel E. Smilow Prep?
The student-teacher ratio at Joel E. Smilow Prep is 17.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Joel E. Smilow Prep rank in MS?
Joel E. Smilow Prep ranks #740 of 864 schools in MS.
What is Joel E. Smilow Prep's MySchoolScout rating?
Joel E. Smilow Prep has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Joel E. Smilow Prep?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Joel E. Smilow Prep has 20% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2016-2022) and 16% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2016-2022).
Is Joel E. Smilow Prep a charter school?
Yes, Joel E. Smilow Prep is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.
Is Joel E. Smilow Prep a Title I school?
No, Joel E. Smilow Prep is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Joel E. Smilow Prep?
100.0% of students at Joel E. Smilow Prep qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.
School facts
- Grades
- 5th – 8th
- Enrollment
- 564
- Student-teacher ratio
- 17.1:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 33
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Midsize City
- County
- Hinds County
- Phone
- (769) 524-5330
- Rank in district
- #1 of 1
- Schools in district
- 1
- District spending per student
- $11,640
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- Not available
- The source release did not match this district identifier.
- Area population (ZIP 39206)
- 21,878
- Area average commute
- 18.5 min
- Area median age
- 37.4
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
Related reading
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Mississippi Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.