Middle Schools in Jackson County

The middle schools in Jackson County, Georgia consist of two schools: West Jackson Middle School and East Jackson Middle School. Based on the available data, West Jackson Middle School stands out as the higher-performing school, ranking in the top 15% of middle schools statewide and consistently maintaining a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Jackson Middle School outperforms the Jackson County and Georgia averages on state assessments across multiple subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 96.9% of its students were proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 45.5% for Jackson County and 44% for Georgia. In contrast, East Jackson Middle School generally underperforms compared to the county and state averages.

The data also reveals a significant difference in spending per student, with West Jackson Middle School spending $8,516 per student and East Jackson Middle School spending $9,812 per student. This suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as school leadership, teacher quality, and instructional practices, may play a more significant role in student outcomes. Additionally, the large disparity in free/reduced lunch rates between the two schools (28% at West Jackson vs. 63% at East Jackson) raises questions about equity and the support provided to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.