Is Ripley Middle School a good school?

Ripley Middle School ranks in the bottom 10.7% of Tennessee middle schools.

How many students attend Ripley Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 487 students attended Ripley Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Ripley Middle School?

Students at Ripley Middle School are 53% African American, 41% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Ripley Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ripley Middle School usually go on to attend Ripley High School

Ripley Middle School

Summary:

Ripley Middle School is a public middle school in Ripley, Tennessee, serving 526 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Lauderdale County School District, which is ranked 130 out of 139 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Ripley Middle School consistently performs below state and county averages on TNReady assessments, with proficiency rates in 2023-2024 of just 15.5% in Mathematics, 14.6% in English Language Arts, and 16.2% in Science, compared to state averages of 39.7%, 37.6%, and 44%, respectively. The school's statewide ranking has dropped from 388 out of 574 middle schools in 2018-2019 to 521 out of 580 in 2023-2024, indicating a concerning trend of declining performance. Specific student subgroups, such as African American students and male students, rank in the bottom 10% of Tennessee middle schools.

Compared to nearby schools like Haywood Middle School, Crestview Middle School, and Halls Junior High School, Ripley Middle School consistently underperforms academically, suggesting that the challenges faced by the school are not solely due to district or regional factors. Despite relatively high per-student spending and a low student-teacher ratio, the school's persistent achievement gaps and declining performance indicate a need for comprehensive, data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

309 Charles Griggs AVE
Ripley, TN 38063

(731) 635-1391

District: Lauderdale County

SchoolDigger Rank:
524^th of 587 Tennessee Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,863

Students who attend Ripley Middle School usually attend:

High:

Ripley High School

Feeder schools for Ripley Middle School:

Elementary:	Ripley Elementary
	Ripley Primary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 487

Racial breakdown:

African American:

52.8%

White:

40.7%

Two or more races:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.4%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare Ripley Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ripley Middle School ranks worse than 89.3% of middle schools in Tennessee. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.19. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (52.8%), White (40.7%), two or more races (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ripley Middle School is 13.4. (See more...)

Compare Ripley Middle School employs 36.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ripley Middle School is $11,863.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ripley Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ripley Middle School 524^th of 587 Tennessee public middle schools. (See Ripley Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Lauderdale County:

SchoolDigger ranks Lauderdale County 128^th of 140 Tennessee school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Ripley Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2010	21.42	377^th	435	13.3%
2011	18.36	408^th	462	11.7%
2012	21.74	401^st	466	13.9%
2013	30.73	407^th	475	14.3%
2014	26.12	405^th	485	16.5%
2015	37.88	373^rd	492	24.2%
2017	45.12	223^rd	362	38.4%
2018	33.28	396^th	563	29.7%
2019	35.95	388^th	574	32.4%
2021	12.60	501^st	576	13.0%
2022	17.45	476^th	569	16.3%
2023	16.07	501^st	594	15.7%
2024	12.19	524^th	587	10.7%

See the entire list of Tennessee Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	19.29	271^st	279	2.9%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	35.33	321^st	481	33.3%
2019	45.09	256^th	490	47.8%
2021	15.58	436^th	483	9.7%
2022	20.46	424^th	495	14.3%
2023	17.78	454^th	514	11.7%
2024	14.59	479^th	510	6.1%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	34.25	378^th	529	28.5%
2021	11.89	485^th	538	9.9%
2022	14.97	479^th	552	13.2%
2023	17.48	469^th	560	16.3%
2024	12.56	498^th	554	10.1%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2019	37.56	329^th	523	37.1%
2021	13.60	464^th	529	12.3%
2022	20.26	433^rd	540	19.8%
2023	15.05	492^nd	557	11.7%
2024	12.45	501^st	560	10.5%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	33.97	177^th	284	37.7%
2019	32.91	189^th	293	35.5%
2021	15.48	265^th	277	4.3%
2022	21.86	238^th	299	20.4%
2023	18.32	276^th	316	12.7%
2024	17.01	288^th	318	9.4%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	53.36	90^th	219	58.9%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Ripley Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	TN State Percentile
2018	47.12	246^th	481	48.9%
2019	52.94	188^th	484	61.2%
2021	16.80	453^rd	496	8.7%
2022	24.91	394^th	500	21.2%
2023	24.72	399^th	503	20.7%
2024	14.67	470^th	504	6.7%

See the entire list of Best Tennessee Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Tennessee Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Ripley Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	698	578	3	2	10	n/a	n/a	0	1291
1989	789	589	1	4	9	n/a	n/a	-1	1391
1990	813	620	1	7	10	n/a	n/a	0	1451
1991	838	641	1	11	10	n/a	n/a	0	1501
1992	841	644	1	11	10	n/a	n/a	0	1507
1993	870	663	1	11	10	n/a	n/a	0	1555
1994	821	673	2	9	9	n/a	n/a	0	1514
1995	782	647	3	8	13	n/a	n/a	0	1453
1996	782	647	3	8	13	n/a	n/a	0	1453
1997	466	374	2	3	9	n/a	n/a	5	859
1998	497	332	1	3	9	n/a	n/a	0	842
1999	392	403	2	8	8	n/a	n/a	0	813
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1083	1083
2001	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	790	790
2002	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	802	802
2003	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	802	802
2004	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	777	777
2005	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	760	760
2006	343	377	2	7	10	n/a	n/a	0	739
2007	363	380	1	10	7	n/a	n/a	0	761
2008	0	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	4
2009	366	377	1	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	758
2010	360	360	3	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	735
2011	362	385	3	13	2	1	2	0	768
2012	341	369	1	17	4	0	3	0	735
2013	346	384	2	19	4	1	3	0	759
2014	312	384	0	17	5	1	7	0	726
2015	319	359	1	19	6	1	5	0	710
2016	296	338	3	17	7	0	7	0	668
2017	283	317	3	17	5	0	9	0	634
2018	279	316	3	20	3	0	9	0	630
2019	274	319	4	16	4	0	13	0	630
2020	246	332	4	17	2	0	13	0	614
2021	211	320	4	15	3	0	16	0	569
2022	219	297	2	15	5	0	12	0	550
2023	206	286	1	10	4	0	19	0	526
2024	198	257	0	8	4	0	20	0	487

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ripley Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1291	66.0	19.5	0
1989	1391	66.0	21.0	n/a
1990	1451	66.0	21.9	n/a
1991	1501	71.0	21.1	n/a
1992	1507	71.0	21.2	n/a
1993	1555	71.0	21.9	n/a
1994	1514	81.0	18.7	n/a
1995	1453	85.0	17.1	n/a
1996	1453	85.0	17.1	n/a
1997	859	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	842	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	813	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	1083	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	790	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	802	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	802	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	777	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	760	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	739	50.0	14.8	n/a
2007	761	49.4	15.4	72
2008	4	53.0	0.1	25
2009	758	50.0	15.2	70.8
2010	735	55.0	13.3	74.3
2011	768	55.0	13.9	76.3
2012	735	53.0	13.8	82.3
2013	759	50.0	15.1	82.9
2014	726	50.9	14.2	83.6
2015	710	50.0	14.2	82.7
2016	668	50.0	13.3	83.4
2017	634	47.0	13.4	n/a
2018	630	40.5	15.5	n/a
2019	630	42.6	14.7	n/a
2020	614	39.2	15.6	n/a
2021	569	35.2	16.1	n/a
2022	550	36.5	15.0	n/a
2023	526	37.3	14.0	n/a
2024	487	36.2	13.4	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ripley Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1291	66.0	19.5	0
1989	1391	66.0	21.0	n/a
1990	1451	66.0	21.9	n/a
1991	1501	71.0	21.1	n/a
1992	1507	71.0	21.2	n/a
1993	1555	71.0	21.9	n/a
1994	1514	81.0	18.7	n/a
1995	1453	85.0	17.1	n/a
1996	1453	85.0	17.1	n/a
1997	859	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	842	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	813	n/a	0.0	n/a
2000	1083	n/a	0.0	n/a
2001	790	n/a	0.0	n/a
2002	802	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	802	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	777	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	760	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006	739	50.0	14.8	n/a
2007	761	49.4	15.4	72
2008	4	53.0	0.1	25
2009	758	50.0	15.2	70.8
2010	735	55.0	13.3	74.3
2011	768	55.0	13.9	76.3
2012	735	53.0	13.8	82.3
2013	759	50.0	15.1	82.9
2014	726	50.9	14.2	83.6
2015	710	50.0	14.2	82.7
2016	668	50.0	13.3	83.4
2017	634	47.0	13.4	n/a
2018	630	40.5	15.5	n/a
2019	630	42.6	14.7	n/a
2020	614	39.2	15.6	n/a
2021	569	35.2	16.1	n/a
2022	550	36.5	15.0	n/a
2023	526	37.3	14.0	n/a
2024	487	36.2	13.4	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ripley Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,166 (12.5%)	$7,321 (78.6%)	$9,311
2020	$1,039 (11.6%)	$7,192 (80.3%)	$8,958
2021	$1,897 (18.2%)	$7,916 (75.8%)	$10,442
2022	$1,674 (14.3%)	$9,213 (78.4%)	$11,745
2023	$1,662 (14.0%)	$9,262 (78.1%)	$11,863

Data source: Tennessee Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ripley Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 388^th of 574 Middle schools	Ranks 501^st of 594 Middle schools	16.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Ripley Middle School)	36.5	16.1	20.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lauderdale County)	43.5	20.2	23.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	39	33.8	5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ripley Middle School)	19.1	17.1	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lauderdale County)	22.5	18.9	3.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.4	35.9	2.5%
6th Grade Social Studies (Ripley Middle School)	29.6	13.6	16%
6th Grade Social Studies (Lauderdale County)	30.4	17.6	12.8%
6th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	38	43.4	5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Ripley Middle School)	22.9	17.5	5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Lauderdale County)	21.7	18.8	2.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	33.6	35	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Ripley Middle School)	29.5	21.4	8.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Lauderdale County)	30.5	23.6	6.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	35.4	36.1	0.7%
7th Grade Social Studies (Ripley Middle School)	35.7	20.9	14.8%
7th Grade Social Studies (Lauderdale County)	33	21.9	11.1%
7th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	43.2	46.9	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Ripley Middle School)	34.9	14.6	20.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Lauderdale County)	37.8	24.5	13.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Tennessee)	35.1	34	1.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Ripley Middle School)	15.5	12.2	3.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Lauderdale County)	19.7	15.4	4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Tennessee)	27.1	26.3	0.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Ripley Middle School)	31	16.7	14.3%
8th Grade Social Studies (Lauderdale County)	29.9	19.6	10.3%
8th Grade Social Studies (Tennessee)	41.5	41.6	0.1%
All Grades Mathematics (Ripley Middle School)	31.3	16.1	15.2%
All Grades Mathematics (Lauderdale County)	33.4	23.8	9.6%
All Grades Mathematics (Tennessee)	40.8	38.1	2.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Ripley Middle School)	21.6	16.9	4.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Lauderdale County)	24.6	23.1	1.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Tennessee)	33.7	36.6	2.9%
All Grades Social Studies (Ripley Middle School)	32.2	16.8	15.4%
All Grades Social Studies (Lauderdale County)	31.2	19.6	11.6%
All Grades Social Studies (Tennessee)	40.9	43.9	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	630	526	16.5%
African American	319	286	10.3%
American Indian	4	4
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	16	10	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	274	206	24.8%
Two or More Races	13	19	46.2%

Schools Near Ripley Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				TNReady Mathematics (2024)				TNReady English Language Arts (2024)				TNReady Algebra I (2024)		TNReady Science (2024)				TNReady Social Studies (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ripley Middle School	Public	6-8	309 Charles Griggs AVE	Ripley	38063	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 635-1391	487	36	13.4		198 (40.7%)	257 (52.8%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.1%)	12.2	524^th of 587 public middle schools	10.7%		16.1	501^st of 594 public middle schools	15.7%	23	13.5	20.1	11.4	15.5	16.2	15.6	12.2	14.7	56.3	56.3	12.1	23.5	11.3	16.2	7.6	23.5	10.6	14.7	$11,863	$1,662	$9,262
Halls Junior High School	Public	7-8	800 West Tigrett ST	Halls	38040	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 836-5579	151	12	12.7		105 (69.5%)	29 (19.2%)	11 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)	31.9	407^th of 587 public middle schools	30.7%		32.9	394^th of 594 public middle schools	33.7%	13		37.8	8.8	25.2		35.1	20.5	27.9	31.3	31.3		28.4	27.4	27.9		35.1	24.7	29.9	$11,590	$1,410	$10,180
Crestview Middle School	Public	6-8	130 C E Moss PKWY	Covington	38019	Tipton County	Tipton County	No	No	No	Yes	(901) 475-5900	502	29	17.3		224 (44.6%)	247 (49.2%)	8 (1.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	21.1	469^th of 587 public middle schools	20.1%		21.7	460^th of 594 public middle schools	22.6%	9	13.2	24.7	9.7	16.1	11.8	19.5	17.4	16.2	63.0	63.0	19.7	26.0	25.5	23.8	33.6	28.7	31.1	31.1	$10,195	$1,551	$7,896
Haywood Middle School	Public	7-8	1201 Haralson	Brownsville	38012	Lauderdale County	Haywood County	No	No	No	Yes	(731) 772-3265	340	29	11.9		66 (19.4%)	245 (72.1%)	21 (6.2%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	9.1	556^th of 587 public middle schools	5.3%		8.6	560^th of 594 public middle schools	5.7%	4		5.6		5.0		11.7	8.8	10.4	20.7	20.7		13.9	21.6	17.4		19.6	12.8	16.5	$14,789	$2,371	$11,387

Ripley Middle School

Ripley Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lauderdale County:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Ripley Middle School

Rank History for all students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ripley Middle School

Rank History for White students at Ripley Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Ripley Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ripley Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Ripley Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ripley Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Ripley Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ripley Middle School