Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Q: Is Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School a good school?

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School ranks 345 th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School is a public middle school in Athens, Georgia, serving 728 students in grades 6-8. Despite consistently ranking in the bottom half of Georgia middle schools over the past 10 years, the school stands out for its strong performance in Algebra I, high per-student spending, and low student-teacher ratio.

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School outperforms the Coile Middle School and Hilsman Middle School in the Clarke County district in Milestones Assessment test scores, particularly in Algebra I and English Language Arts. However, it underperforms compared to the higher-performing schools in the Oconee County and Jefferson City districts. The school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 81.89% to 82.83% over the past 3 years, suggests that it serves a predominantly low-income student population, which may contribute to its lower overall performance.

Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School, ranging from $10,083 to $10,968 over the past 3 years, the school's overall performance is still below the state average. This suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as school leadership, teacher quality, and student engagement, may play a significant role in the school's academic outcomes. Addressing the socioeconomic challenges faced by the school's student population and implementing targeted strategies to improve teaching and learning may be key to driving long-term improvements in the school's performance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1600 Tallassee Rd
Athens, GA 30606

(706) 548-7208

District: Clarke County

SchoolDigger Rank:
345^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Students who attend Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School usually attend:

High:

Clarke Central High School

Feeder schools for Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School:

Elementary:	Cleveland Road Elementary School
	Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School
	Whitehead Road Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.7

Number of students: 728

Racial breakdown:

African American:

41.8%

Hispanic:

37.1%

White:

15.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School ranks worse than 58.7% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.32. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School 345^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Burney-Harris-Lyons 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 Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School.

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Rank History for Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	19.22	380^th	420	9.5%
2007	27.86	376^th	445	15.5%
2008	19.60	409^th	462	11.5%
2009	21.28	414^th	466	11.2%
2010	27.65	406^th	494	17.8%
2011	31.67	398^th	504	21.0%
2012	38.46	375^th	508	26.2%
2013	34.82	399^th	527	24.3%
2014	42.22	364^th	521	30.1%
2015	27.03	394^th	537	26.6%
2016	25.70	414^th	545	24.0%
2017	32.19	377^th	539	30.1%
2018	31.07	389^th	543	28.4%
2019	30.91	390^th	559	30.2%
2021	27.27	393^rd	542	27.5%
2022	41.72	317^th	567	44.1%
2023	43.37	306^th	577	47.0%
2024	39.32	345^th	588	41.3%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 20, 2020

I hate this school. It lacks self motivation and support for students of Hispanic race. This year 2019-2020 was the worse for my kid. The 8th grade teachers are mean and they grade really hard. My son didnt get the support and the credit he sure deserves. Awards are given at the end and some of the awards are not even mentioned at the beginning. So parents are not equally informed of awards like Carson Eve , presendential , principal, PBS awards. It is so confusing how our kids supposed to get this awards if we don't know anything about them. The principal does acknowledge good kids and when you see her she doesn't acknowledge parents. I m so glad my son is leaving this but I hope things change when my daughter starts 6th grade. I m very concern how she is to be treated academically. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

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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	796	796
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	645	645
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	698	698
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	707	707
1994	280	440	22	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	757
1995	226	394	20	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	650
1996	226	394	20	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	650
1997	168	376	11	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	587
1998	155	342	7	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	541
1999	123	333	7	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	511
2000	100	294	11	77	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
2001	102	269	12	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
2002	113	329	7	120	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2003	113	329	7	120	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2004	85	346	7	108	2	n/a	n/a	0	548
2005	73	330	8	115	2	n/a	n/a	9	537
2006	82	313	3	161	2	n/a	n/a	9	570
2007	69	330	5	179	1	n/a	n/a	16	600
2008	64	355	5	186	0	n/a	n/a	11	621
2009	59	358	3	180	0	n/a	n/a	18	618
2010	50	337	4	178	0	0	18	0	587
2011	55	313	6	196	0	0	17	0	587
2012	53	327	9	198	0	1	14	0	602
2013	62	334	13	210	0	1	13	0	633
2014	65	323	13	216	0	1	20	0	638
2015	84	323	14	233	2	0	29	0	685
2016	85	298	13	242	1	0	27	0	666
2017	84	302	18	247	0	1	24	0	676
2018	88	291	14	258	0	1	24	0	676
2019	89	284	22	267	0	1	29	0	692
2020	82	287	17	286	2	3	21	0	698
2021	101	304	21	274	0	2	27	0	729
2022	91	300	19	260	0	1	27	0	698
2023	113	304	17	270	0	0	24	0	728

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 Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	796	56.0	14.2	46.5
1991	645	57.0	11.3	39.7
1992	698	54.6	12.7	49.9
1993	707	48.0	14.7	53.3
1994	757	53.7	14.1	56.7
1995	650	49.0	13.3	43.8
1996	650	49.0	13.3	43.8
1997	587	46.9	12.5	62.7
1998	541	49.9	10.8	61.6
1999	511	50.7	10.1	69.7
2000	482	46.1	10.5	73.4
2001	481	45.2	10.6	72.6
2002	571	35.0	16.3	72.2
2003	571	35.0	16.3	72.2
2004	548	46.7	11.7	74.5
2005	537	42.7	12.6	78.6
2006	570	40.3	14.1	76.1
2007	600	44.1	13.6	77.7
2008	621	46.6	13.3	80.5
2009	618	48.4	12.8	86.2
2010	587	49.9	11.7	86
2011	587	49.8	11.7	86.9
2012	602	46.3	13.0	88.2
2013	633	44.5	14.2	91.3
2014	638	43.5	14.6	92.9
2015	685	48.0	14.2	87
2016	666	48.0	13.8	92
2017	676	52.0	13.0	92.2
2018	676	49.0	13.7	92
2019	692	46.0	15.0	92.1
2020	698	49.2	14.1	86.1
2021	729	54.7	13.3	81.9
2022	698	55.2	12.6	n/a
2023	728	57.0	12.7	82.8

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 Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	796	56.0	14.2	46.5
1991	645	57.0	11.3	39.7
1992	698	54.6	12.7	49.9
1993	707	48.0	14.7	53.3
1994	757	53.7	14.1	56.7
1995	650	49.0	13.3	43.8
1996	650	49.0	13.3	43.8
1997	587	46.9	12.5	62.7
1998	541	49.9	10.8	61.6
1999	511	50.7	10.1	69.7
2000	482	46.1	10.5	73.4
2001	481	45.2	10.6	72.6
2002	571	35.0	16.3	72.2
2003	571	35.0	16.3	72.2
2004	548	46.7	11.7	74.5
2005	537	42.7	12.6	78.6
2006	570	40.3	14.1	76.1
2007	600	44.1	13.6	77.7
2008	621	46.6	13.3	80.5
2009	618	48.4	12.8	86.2
2010	587	49.9	11.7	86
2011	587	49.8	11.7	86.9
2012	602	46.3	13.0	88.2
2013	633	44.5	14.2	91.3
2014	638	43.5	14.6	92.9
2015	685	48.0	14.2	87
2016	666	48.0	13.8	92
2017	676	52.0	13.0	92.2
2018	676	49.0	13.7	92
2019	692	46.0	15.0	92.1
2020	698	49.2	14.1	86.1
2021	729	54.7	13.3	81.9
2022	698	55.2	12.6	n/a
2023	728	57.0	12.7	82.8

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 Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,178 (10.7%)	$9,790 (89.3%)	$10,968
2018	$972 (9.6%)	$9,111 (90.4%)	$10,083
2019	$1,086 (10.5%)	$9,259 (89.5%)	$10,345

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Burney-Harris-Lyons 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 390^th of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 306^th of 577 Middle schools	16.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	41.9	25.7	16.2%
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 (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	31.9	25.6	6.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	26.5	20	6.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	23.5	29.4	5.9%
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 (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	31.1	30	1.1%
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 (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	32.1	38.4	6.3%
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 (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	22.9	35.8	12.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	25.1	25.3	0.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School)	23.5	34.1	10.6%
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	692	728	5.2%
African American	284	304	7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	22	17	22.7%
Hispanic	267	270	1.1%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	89	113	27%
Two or More Races	29	24	17.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.1%	82.8%	9.2%

Schools Near Burney-Harris-Lyons 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
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School	Public	6-8	1600 Tallassee Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7208	728	57	12.7	82.8%	113 (15.5%)	304 (41.8%)	270 (37.1%)	17 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.3%)	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
Clarke Middle School	Public	6-8	1235 Baxter St	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-6547	708	70	10.0	82.8%	250 (35.3%)	327 (46.2%)	75 (10.6%)	13 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.6%)	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
Malcom Bridge Middle School	Public	6-8	2500 Malcom Bridge Rd	Bogart	30622	Oconee County	Oconee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 310-1992	1,074	65	16.5	11.0%	818 (76.2%)	40 (3.7%)	91 (8.5%)	84 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (3.7%)	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
Bear Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	228 Jefferson St	Statham	30666	Barrow County	Barrow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 867-2116	673	51	13.1	52.0%	332 (49.3%)	94 (14.0%)	176 (26.2%)	26 (3.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.4%)	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
Oconee County Middle School	Public	6-8	1101 Mars Hill Rd	Watkinsville	30677	Oconee County	Oconee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 769-3575	926	60	15.4	12.0%	727 (78.5%)	43 (4.6%)	75 (8.1%)	41 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.2%)	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
Hilsman Middle School	Public	6-8	870 Gaines School Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7281	628	59	10.6	82.8%	132 (21.0%)	362 (57.6%)	82 (13.1%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.0%)	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
Dove Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	7915 Hog Mountain Rd	Statham	30666	Barrow County	Oconee County	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(706) 310-2017	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	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
Coile Middle School	Public	6-8	110 Old Elberton Rd	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5318	635	54	11.8	82.8%	39 (6.1%)	289 (45.5%)	293 (46.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (1.9%)	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
East Jackson Middle School	Public	6-7	1880 Hoods Mill Rd	Commerce	30529	Jackson County	Jackson County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 335-2083	544	42	13.0	63.1%	352 (64.7%)	38 (7.0%)	123 (22.6%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.6%)	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	1,014	67	15.0	20.0%	794 (78.3%)	83 (8.2%)	82 (8.1%)	13 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.0%)	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 Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

What high school do graduates of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School attend?

Students who attend Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School usually go on to attend Clarke Central High School

Is Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School a good school?

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School ranks 345^th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School in?

Clarke County

How many students attend Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 728 students attended Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School?

Students at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School are 42% African American, 37% Hispanic, 16% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.