Middle Schools in Pickens County

Pickens County, Georgia is home to two middle schools: Jasper Middle School and Pickens County Junior High School. While both schools have similar spending per student and student-teacher ratios, Pickens County Junior High School stands out with significantly higher proficiency rates in Algebra I and 8th grade Math compared to the county and state averages.

Pickens County Junior High School's Algebra I proficiency rate was an impressive 87.8% in 2023-2024, far exceeding the 58% rate for Pickens County and the 44% state average. The school also performed better than the county and state in 8th grade Math, with a 40.7% proficiency rate. In contrast, Jasper Middle School's proficiency rates in core subjects like English Language Arts, Math, and Science were generally below the county and state averages.

The data also reveals that Jasper Middle School has a higher percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients at 48.09%, compared to 44.68% at Pickens County Junior High School. This suggests Jasper Middle School may serve a more economically disadvantaged student population, which could contribute to its lower academic performance. Overall, the insights highlight the need for further investigation into the specific factors driving the differences in academic achievement between these two middle schools in Pickens County.