Clarke Middle School

Q: Is Clarke Middle School a good school?

Clarke Middle School ranks 243 rd of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Clarke Middle School is a public middle school located in Athens, Georgia, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 708 students. The school is part of the Clarke County School District, which is ranked 146 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Clarke Middle School consistently outperforms the Clarke County and Georgia state averages in various Milestones Assessment subjects, with 54.4% of students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 36.4% for the district and 44% for the state. The school has also shown signs of improvement, with its ranking increasing from 343 out of 542 Georgia middle schools in 2020-2021 to 243 out of 588 in 2023-2024, and its star rating improving from 2 to 3 stars. Additionally, Clarke Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10 to 10.7 students per teacher, and its spending per student has been consistently higher than the state average.

Despite these strengths, Clarke Middle School faces socioeconomic challenges, with a high percentage of free and reduced-lunch recipients, ranging from 81.88% to 82.83% over the past few years. While the school outperforms its district and state averages, it lags behind some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Malcom Bridge Middle School and Oconee County Middle School, which are part of the Oconee County School District. By addressing the socioeconomic factors and learning from the best practices of these higher-performing schools, Clarke Middle School has the potential to further improve its academic performance and provide a more enriching educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1235 Baxter St
Athens, GA 30606

(706) 543-6547

District: Clarke County

SchoolDigger Rank:
243^rd of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,941

Students who attend Clarke Middle School usually attend:

High:

Clarke Central High School

Feeder schools for Clarke Middle School:

Elementary:	Barrow Elementary School
	Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary School
	Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School
	Timothy Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.8

Number of students: 652

Racial breakdown:

African American:

45.4%

White:

36.7%

Hispanic:

10.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.8%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Clarke Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Clarke Middle School ranks better than 58.7% of middle schools in Georgia. It also ranks first among 4 ranked middle schools in the Clarke County School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.03. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (45.4%), White (36.7%), Hispanic (10.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Clarke County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Clarke Middle School is 9.8, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Clarke County School District! (See more...)

Compare Clarke Middle School employs 66.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Clarke Middle School is $10,941, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Clarke County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Clarke Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Clarke Middle School 243^rd of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Clarke Middle School in the ranking list.)

Clarke County:

SchoolDigger ranks Clarke County 146^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Clarke Middle School.

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Rank History for Clarke Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	30.22	349^th	420	16.9%
2007	34.82	340^th	445	23.6%
2008	36.38	349^th	462	24.5%
2009	39.00	336^th	466	27.9%
2010	42.33	327^th	494	33.8%
2011	35.08	376^th	504	25.4%
2012	42.49	352^nd	508	30.7%
2013	37.03	389^th	527	26.2%
2014	53.01	288^th	521	44.7%
2015	66.20	155^th	537	71.1%
2016	60.07	189^th	545	65.3%
2017	51.74	241^st	539	55.3%
2018	53.46	224^th	543	58.7%
2019	44.49	306^th	559	45.3%
2021	35.18	343^rd	542	36.7%
2022	54.41	233^rd	567	58.9%
2023	50.76	260^th	577	54.9%
2024	55.03	243^rd	588	58.7%

See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)

25%

50%

25%

Reviews:

by a student
Friday, October 4, 2019

roaches roaches everyhwere pls help us Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, October 2, 2019

so many roaches, roaches literally everywhere Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

We love Clarke Middle School! Our kids play school sports and participate in the Clarke Scholars as well as band and the arts. The organic garden and goats are a real plus. Don't let the state standardized test scores scare you-- the kids get a great well-rounded education and the teachers really care. Plus it's an International Baccalaureate school with a focus on foreign languages. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Clarke Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	691	691
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	912	912
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	899	899
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	960	960
1994	426	525	23	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	991
1995	285	340	9	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	645
1996	285	340	9	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	645
1997	302	310	13	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	642
1998	281	331	15	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	645
1999	282	328	22	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	660
2000	263	337	23	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	645
2001	261	334	27	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	669
2002	228	344	39	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	670
2003	228	344	39	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	670
2004	229	326	38	62	0	n/a	n/a	0	655
2005	187	350	24	53	0	n/a	n/a	17	631
2006	166	359	28	55	0	n/a	n/a	17	625
2007	150	347	25	61	0	n/a	n/a	22	605
2008	160	334	20	69	1	n/a	n/a	20	604
2009	169	326	21	53	3	n/a	n/a	31	603
2010	173	302	15	52	2	0	26	0	570
2011	162	289	16	57	3	0	25	0	552
2012	171	290	6	57	2	0	18	0	544
2013	180	328	9	67	2	0	20	0	606
2014	183	313	17	81	1	0	19	0	614
2015	220	331	11	78	0	0	36	0	676
2016	237	328	18	81	0	0	29	0	693
2017	248	329	12	94	1	0	36	0	720
2018	258	362	16	90	1	3	34	0	764
2019	269	381	17	86	0	4	32	0	789
2020	280	381	19	83	0	4	35	0	802
2021	253	351	12	83	1	3	42	0	745
2022	265	354	6	68	1	3	45	0	742
2023	250	327	13	75	2	1	40	0	708
2024	239	296	11	69	3	1	33	0	652

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 Clarke Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	691	47.0	14.7	41
1991	912	58.0	15.7	44.6
1992	899	60.8	14.7	40.3
1993	960	60.0	16.0	47.3
1994	991	70.2	14.1	49.9
1995	645	53.0	12.2	54.4
1996	645	53.0	12.2	54.4
1997	642	52.2	12.3	57.9
1998	645	52.6	12.3	47.4
1999	660	53.2	12.4	52.7
2000	645	54.3	11.9	51
2001	669	54.3	12.3	52.8
2002	670	52.4	12.8	65.1
2003	670	52.4	12.8	65.1
2004	655	55.5	11.8	62
2005	631	54.0	11.7	66.3
2006	625	48.6	12.9	63.7
2007	605	53.9	11.2	70.8
2008	604	53.8	11.2	65.2
2009	603	52.5	11.5	67.3
2010	570	47.4	12.0	66.1
2011	552	49.4	11.1	68.7
2012	544	47.0	11.5	67.8
2013	606	48.0	12.6	71.9
2014	614	48.0	12.7	72.5
2015	676	54.0	12.5	63.6
2016	693	52.0	13.3	92.1
2017	720	59.2	12.1	92.1
2018	764	61.0	12.5	92
2019	789	57.8	13.6	92
2020	802	61.6	13.0	86
2021	745	69.2	10.7	81.9
2022	742	69.6	10.6	n/a
2023	708	70.4	10.0	82.8
2024	652	66.3	9.8	75.8

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 Clarke Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	691	47.0	14.7	41
1991	912	58.0	15.7	44.6
1992	899	60.8	14.7	40.3
1993	960	60.0	16.0	47.3
1994	991	70.2	14.1	49.9
1995	645	53.0	12.2	54.4
1996	645	53.0	12.2	54.4
1997	642	52.2	12.3	57.9
1998	645	52.6	12.3	47.4
1999	660	53.2	12.4	52.7
2000	645	54.3	11.9	51
2001	669	54.3	12.3	52.8
2002	670	52.4	12.8	65.1
2003	670	52.4	12.8	65.1
2004	655	55.5	11.8	62
2005	631	54.0	11.7	66.3
2006	625	48.6	12.9	63.7
2007	605	53.9	11.2	70.8
2008	604	53.8	11.2	65.2
2009	603	52.5	11.5	67.3
2010	570	47.4	12.0	66.1
2011	552	49.4	11.1	68.7
2012	544	47.0	11.5	67.8
2013	606	48.0	12.6	71.9
2014	614	48.0	12.7	72.5
2015	676	54.0	12.5	63.6
2016	693	52.0	13.3	92.1
2017	720	59.2	12.1	92.1
2018	764	61.0	12.5	92
2019	789	57.8	13.6	92
2020	802	61.6	13.0	86
2021	745	69.2	10.7	81.9
2022	742	69.6	10.6	n/a
2023	708	70.4	10.0	82.8
2024	652	66.3	9.8	75.8

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 Clarke Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,012 (9.0%)	$10,284 (91.0%)	$11,297
2018	$888 (8.2%)	$9,999 (91.8%)	$10,888
2019	$1,022 (9.3%)	$9,920 (90.7%)	$10,941

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Clarke 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 306^th of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 260^th of 577 Middle schools	9.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke Middle School)	41	35.6	5.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke County)	33.5	25.4	8.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Clarke Middle School)	29.8	26.1	3.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	26.5	20	6.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke Middle School)	42.1	38.7	3.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke County)	26.5	26.7	0.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Clarke Middle School)	43	36.2	6.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	29.8	24.9	4.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke Middle School)	42.3	37.1	5.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke County)	33.5	28.6	4.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Clarke Middle School)	19.6	30.1	10.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	25.1	25.3	0.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Clarke Middle School)	34.7	37.6	2.9%
8th Grade Social Studies (Clarke County)	24	26.9	2.9%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	789	708	10.3%
African American	381	327	14.2%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	17	13	23.5%
Hispanic	86	75	12.8%
Pacific Islander	4	1	75%
White	269	250	7.1%
Two or More Races	32	40	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92%	82.8%	9.2%

Schools Near Clarke Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Clarke Middle School	Public	6-8	1235 Baxter St	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-6547	652	66	9.8	75.8%	239 (36.7%)	296 (45.4%)	69 (10.6%)	11 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.1%)	55	243^rd of 588 public middle schools	58.7%		50.8	260^th of 577 public middle schools	54.9%	17	54.4	37.8	38.8	48.2	30.2	35.5	38.4		44.0	$10,941	$1,022	$9,920
Hilsman Middle School	Public	6-8	870 Gaines School Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7281	606	57	10.6	93.9%	118 (19.5%)	332 (54.8%)	107 (17.7%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.9%)	24.8	443^rd of 588 public middle schools	24.7%		31	399^th of 577 public middle schools	30.8%	44	55.4	18.0	29.2	31.8	10.7	18.9	31.8		21.5	$12,191	$1,171	$11,020
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School	Public	6-8	1600 Tallassee Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7208	718	60	11.9	77.2%	108 (15.0%)	301 (41.9%)	271 (37.7%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.0%)	39.3	345^th of 588 public middle schools	41.3%		43.4	306^th of 577 public middle schools	47.0%	39	94.1	27.0	30.7	36.9	26.2	33.2	34.7		31.2	$10,345	$1,086	$9,259
Oconee County Middle School	Public	6-8	1101 Mars Hill Rd	Watkinsville	30677	Oconee County	Oconee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 769-3575	891	60	14.8	24.0%	731 (82.0%)	38 (4.3%)	56 (6.3%)	28 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.3%)	95.5	31^st of 588 public middle schools	94.7%		96	26^th of 577 public middle schools	95.5%	5	100.0	69.3	69.7	69.9	63.8	76.3	72.2		68.4	$7,923	$298	$7,625
Malcom Bridge Middle School	Public	6-8	2500 Malcom Bridge Rd	Bogart	30622	Oconee County	Oconee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 310-1992	573	44	12.9	19.4%	412 (71.9%)	21 (3.7%)	49 (8.6%)	67 (11.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.8%)	98.3	11^th of 588 public middle schools	98.1%		97.1	17^th of 577 public middle schools	97.1%	6	100.0	73.4	75.5	79.6	71.0	76.8	85.3		85.7	$7,712	$139	$7,573
Coile Middle School	Public	6-8	110 Old Elberton Rd	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5318	595	56	10.6	90.8%	41 (6.9%)	258 (43.4%)	280 (47.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.5%)	12.5	541^st of 588 public middle schools	8.0%		11.4	542^nd of 577 public middle schools	6.1%	1	73.7	16.0	16.1	20.2	11.2	14.6	10.9		10.4	$10,687	$1,187	$9,499
Bear Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	228 Jefferson St	Statham	30666	Barrow County	Barrow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 867-2116	742	55	13.4	64.3%	368 (49.6%)	106 (14.3%)	195 (26.3%)	25 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.3%)	43	319^th of 588 public middle schools	45.7%		44.2	300^th of 577 public middle schools	48.0%	19	77.5	33.6	35.0	38.2	18.5	34.5	40.1	24.4	31.5	$9,204	$528	$8,676
Dove Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	7915 Hog Mountain Rd	Statham	30666	Barrow County	Oconee County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(706) 310-2017	487	32	15.0	14.2%	397 (81.5%)	18 (3.7%)	30 (6.2%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	96.9	19^th of 588 public middle schools	96.8%					(n/a)	100.0	67.9	71.2	72.5	80.2	71.8	77.1		79.1
East Jackson Middle School	Public	6-7	1880 Hoods Mill Rd	Commerce	30529	Jackson County	Jackson County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 335-2083	547	41	13.4	72.2%	380 (69.5%)	37 (6.8%)	98 (17.9%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.8%)	55.2	241^st of 588 public middle schools	59.0%		57.4	217^th of 577 public middle schools	62.4%	24		35.5	37.5		33.9	44.9				$9,812	$564	$9,248
Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Dragon Dr	Jefferson	30549	Jackson County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(706) 367-2882	973	65	14.9	32.5%	745 (76.6%)	69 (7.1%)	93 (9.6%)	19 (2.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.6%)	93.9	38^th of 588 public middle schools	93.5%		94.2	36^th of 577 public middle schools	93.8%	2		63.7	67.9	67.8	67.7	72.8	74.2		58.6	$7,894	$126	$7,768

Frequently Asked Questions about Clarke Middle School

What high school do graduates of Clarke Middle School attend?

Students who attend Clarke Middle School usually go on to attend Clarke Central High School

Is Clarke Middle School a good school?

Clarke Middle School ranks 243^rd of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Clarke Middle School?

Students at Clarke Middle School are 45% African American, 37% White, 11% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Clarke Middle School in?

Clarke County

How many students attend Clarke Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 652 students attended Clarke Middle School.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.