Tupelo Middle, 1009 Varsity Drive: grades 7 and 8, 1,062 students in 2023-24, and a B from the state with 415 points for 2025-26.
Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Sources: the Tupelo Middle School website and its leadership page; the Tupelo Public School District’s schools page, 2026-27 calendar (PDF) and 2026-27 arrival and dismissal times (PDF); the Mississippi Department of Education’s 2026 accountability results and report card; and the federal NCES school directory.
Tupelo Middle School is the Tupelo Public School District’s only school for seventh and eighth grade, so every district student attends it after sixth grade at Milam Elementary. Its students move on to Tupelo High School.
- Address: 1009 Varsity Drive, Tupelo, MS 38801
- Phone: 662-840-8780
- Grades: 7 and 8
- Website: tupeloschools.com/tupelo-middle-school
Who to call
- Front office: 662-840-8780
- Attendance office: 662-840-8790
- Enrollment and attendance zones: the district’s Student Support Services, 662-841-8955
- Buses: the district’s Transportation Department, 662-841-8908
- District central office: 72 S. Green St., 662-841-8850
Principal
Principal Heather Cartwright, according to the school’s website, which lists three assistant principals: Trey Leeke, Sydney McGaha and Sam McRae. Her welcome letter says the school is committed to “Capturing Kids’ Hearts and Minds Daily.”
Enrollment and teachers
The most recent federal count, from the NCES directory for the 2023-24 school year, is 1,062 students and 77 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 13.8 students per teacher. The state’s 2025-26 report card counts 78.1 teacher FTEs.
State report card
Tupelo Middle earned a B for 2025-26, with 415 of 700 possible points, in the Mississippi Department of Education’s results file, released Oct. 15, 2026. An elementary or middle school needed 402 points for a B and 457 for an A this year, according to the state’s guide to the system (PDF). The Tupelo Public School District as a whole earned a B with 657 of 1,000 points. The school’s 2024-25 report card also shows a B.
From the same file and the school’s report card:
| Measure, 2025-26 | Tupelo Middle |
|---|---|
| Reading proficiency | 44.9% |
| Math proficiency | 59.7% |
| Science proficiency (eighth grade) | 61.8% |
| Reading growth, all students | 54.5% |
| Math growth, all students | 71.0% |
| Chronically absent students | 48.8% |
Mississippi grades every school and district from A to F, counting test scores, how much students improve from one year to the next, with extra weight on the lowest-performing 25% of students, and English learners’ progress, according to the state’s guide. Because the writing part of the English test was field tested in 2026, the state used the higher of the 2025-26 or 2024-25 English results. The state also raised the bar this year, and says 2025-26 grades set a new baseline that “cannot be compared” to earlier years.
Attendance zone
There are no middle school zones inside the district: every Tupelo Public School District seventh and eighth grader is assigned to Tupelo Middle. Its feeder school is Milam Elementary, the district’s sixth-grade school, and its students go on to Tupelo High School.
The district boundary does not follow the city limits or mailing addresses, and some addresses are in the Lee County School District instead. To confirm an address, call the district’s Student Support Services at 662-841-8955. We found no zone change approved by the school board.
Calendar and bell times
On the district’s 2026-27 arrival and dismissal times, Tupelo Middle starts at 8 a.m. and dismisses at 2:45 p.m. The latest check-in is 10 a.m. and the earliest check-out 12:30 p.m. Early dismissal is at 12:20 p.m.; on a one-hour delay school starts at 9 a.m., and on a two-hour delay at 10 a.m.
From the district’s 2026-27 calendar:
- Monday, Oct. 19: classes resume after fall break
- Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving holidays
- Friday, Dec. 18: end of the second quarter, early dismissal
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: Christmas holidays; students return Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027
- March 8-12, 2027: spring break
Sports and activities
The school’s website lists these teams and activities: archery, baseball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, show choir, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, wrestling, winter guard and orchestra. Its points of pride page says the school received a Mississippi Arts Commission grant.
More
- The district’s schools page and the school’s website
- The state’s Tupelo Middle report card
- Every public school in Tupelo, with grades and report cards: our Tupelo public schools guide
- Registration, the school board and the full calendar: our Tupelo schools guide
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Tupelo Middle School serve?
Seventh and eighth grade. It is the Tupelo Public School District’s only school for those grades, at 1009 Varsity Drive.
What grade did Tupelo Middle School get from the state?
A B for 2025-26, with 415 of 700 possible points, in the Mississippi Department of Education’s results released Oct. 15, 2026. A middle school needed 402 points for a B and 457 for an A.
What time does Tupelo Middle School start?
8 a.m., with dismissal at 2:45 p.m., on the district’s 2026-27 arrival and dismissal schedule. Early dismissal days end at 12:20 p.m.
Which high school does Tupelo Middle feed into?
Tupelo High School, the district’s only high school, at 4125 Golden Wave Drive.
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