Palmer Middle School

Summary:

Palmer Middle School is a public middle school located in Kennesaw, Georgia, serving 828 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Cobb County School District, which is ranked 52 out of 203 districts in Georgia and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Palmer Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Georgia, with a statewide ranking between 77 and 164 over the past 10 years. The school's performance on the Milestones Assessment is particularly strong, with significantly higher proficiency rates compared to the Cobb County and Georgia averages across multiple subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Palmer Middle School had an 83.7% proficiency rate in Algebra I, compared to 55.8% for Cobb County and 44% for Georgia. Additionally, the school serves a more economically diverse student population, with a relatively high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients ranging from 39.43% to 45.89% over the past few years.

When compared to nearby middle schools in the Cobb County district, Palmer Middle School generally outperforms them on academic measures, such as Milestones Assessment proficiency rates. However, some nearby schools, such as Mabry Middle School and Simpson Middle School, have even higher academic performance, with proficiency rates exceeding 70% in several subjects. Despite this, Palmer Middle School has maintained a consistent high performance over the past 10 years, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and a statewide ranking that has remained in the top 30% of Georgia middle schools.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 690 N Booth Rd NW
       Kennesaw, GA  30144


(770) 591-5020

District: Cobb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
164th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools


Students who attend Palmer Middle School usually attend:

High:    North Cobb High School

Feeder schools for Palmer Middle School:

Elementary:    Pitner Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.5 Help
Number of students:  828

Racial breakdown:

White:
35.5%
African American:
28.0%
Hispanic:
23.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  45.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Palmer Middle School ranks better than 72.1% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.28. (See more...)
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

Palmer Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Palmer Middle School 164th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Palmer Middle School in the ranking list.)

Cobb County:

SchoolDigger ranks Cobb County 52nd of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Palmer Middle School.

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Your rating for Palmer Middle School?

Rank History for Palmer Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 81.20 49th 420 88.3%
2007 78.41 57th 445 87.2%
2008 83.33 46th 462 90.0%
2009 81.89 50th 466 89.3%
2010 75.17 93rd 494 81.2%
2011 72.33 125th 504 75.2%
2012 73.40 116th 508 77.2%
2013 71.55 135th 527 74.4%
2014 73.52 111th 521 78.7%
2015 71.34 125th 537 76.7%
2016 69.75 136th 545 75.0%
2017 81.79 78th 539 85.5%
2018 83.08 77th 543 85.8%
2019 82.27 89th 559 84.1%
2021 74.99 114th 542 79.0%
2022 74.82 124th 567 78.1%
2023 64.65 170th 577 70.5%
2024 67.28 164th 588 72.1%
See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

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

Palmer Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.5)
25%

0%

25%

0%

50%

  

by a parent
Friday, January 31, 2014

Open Quote Great school! Much improved under new principal and administration. They involve the parents and community. They care about your students and celebrate them on a regular basis. Close Quote


by a parent
Saturday, January 19, 2013

Open Quote The prior review on 11/12 is dead on. Poorly run and quite often the student's best interest is overlooked. The principal seems inexperienced and doesn't have the necessary skills needed to be in charge. Very disappointing. Close Quote


by a parent
Saturday, November 17, 2012

Open Quote Administration & teachers unwilling to help students that need help. Some teachers are downright nasty. Principal is useless. Very poor school & learning environment. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Palmer Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2002 909 226 59 69 9 n/a n/a 0 1272
2003 909 226 59 69 9 n/a n/a 0 1272
2004 904 245 54 81 8 n/a n/a 0 1292
2005 807 245 53 92 5 n/a n/a 49 1251
2006 725 273 45 97 5 n/a n/a 51 1196
2007 635 291 53 112 3 n/a n/a 63 1157
2008 601 261 46 118 3 n/a n/a 59 1088
2009 592 260 55 108 2 n/a n/a 59 1076
2010 604 286 50 130 6 0 0 0 1076
2011 546 288 36 118 3 0 53 0 1044
2012 525 268 32 124 0 0 50 0 999
2013 508 258 29 121 0 1 40 0 957
2014 505 249 42 150 2 1 47 0 996
2015 500 272 42 156 2 4 54 0 1030
2016 469 266 42 174 6 4 58 0 1019
2017 422 245 36 175 3 2 48 0 931
2018 413 253 37 179 3 1 37 0 923
2019 381 258 32 180 3 0 44 0 898
2020 355 256 37 206 5 0 43 0 902
2021 332 253 36 196 1 0 57 0 875
2022 309 241 30 209 3 0 64 0 856
2023 294 232 33 193 3 0 73 0 828

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 Palmer Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 1272 77.7 16.4 16.9
2003 1272 77.7 16.4 16.9
2004 1292 79.4 16.3 19.8
2005 1251 80.0 15.6 22.6
2006 1196 75.1 15.9 25.9
2007 1157 76.6 15.1 29.1
2008 1088 76.0 14.3 29.2
2009 1076 78.0 13.8 33.5
2010 1076 73.0 14.7 37.2
2011 1044 63.0 16.5 38.3
2012 999 62.0 16.1 39.2
2013 957 57.6 16.6 40.9
2014 996 55.5 17.9 40.4
2015 1030 56.0 18.3 42.1
2016 1019 60.0 16.9 44.1
2017 931 60.5 15.3 42.9
2018 923 55.5 16.6 38.5
2019 898 55.2 16.2 41.8
2020 902 54.2 16.6 38.6
2021 875 55.4 15.7 39.4
2022 856 54.8 15.6 n/a
2023 828 53.2 15.5 45.9

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 Palmer Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 1272 77.7 16.4 16.9
2003 1272 77.7 16.4 16.9
2004 1292 79.4 16.3 19.8
2005 1251 80.0 15.6 22.6
2006 1196 75.1 15.9 25.9
2007 1157 76.6 15.1 29.1
2008 1088 76.0 14.3 29.2
2009 1076 78.0 13.8 33.5
2010 1076 73.0 14.7 37.2
2011 1044 63.0 16.5 38.3
2012 999 62.0 16.1 39.2
2013 957 57.6 16.6 40.9
2014 996 55.5 17.9 40.4
2015 1030 56.0 18.3 42.1
2016 1019 60.0 16.9 44.1
2017 931 60.5 15.3 42.9
2018 923 55.5 16.6 38.5
2019 898 55.2 16.2 41.8
2020 902 54.2 16.6 38.6
2021 875 55.4 15.7 39.4
2022 856 54.8 15.6 n/a
2023 828 53.2 15.5 45.9

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 Palmer Middle School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $243 (2.9%) $8,243 (97.1%) $8,486
2018 $287 (3.4%) $8,246 (96.6%) $8,534
2019 $232 (2.6%) $8,741 (97.4%) $8,973

Data source: Georgia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmer 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 89th of 559 Middle schoolsRanks 170th of 577 Middle schools
 13.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer Middle School)58.744.7
 14%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)56.950.6
 6.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4639.2
 6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Palmer Middle School)49.528.7
 20.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)5443.2
 10.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4032.9
 7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer Middle School)45.353.3
 8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)48.551.5
 3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)3939.1
 0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Palmer Middle School)65.940.2
 25.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)54.944.8
 10.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4334.9
 8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palmer Middle School)60.349.7
 10.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)58.651.2
 7.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4742.1
 4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Palmer Middle School)63.646.3
 17.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)47.344.8
 2.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)3536.2
 1.2%
8th Grade Science (Palmer Middle School)55.122
 33.1%
   8th Grade Science (Cobb County)41.330.6
 10.7%
   8th Grade Science (Georgia)3226.4
 5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Palmer Middle School)53.633.7
 19.9%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Cobb County)5144.5
 6.5%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)4135.9
 5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Palmer Middle School)10097.7
 2.3%
   End of Course Algebra I (Cobb County)54.246.6
 7.6%
   End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)41.135.8
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students898828
 7.8%
African American258232
 10.1%
American Indian33
Asian3233
 3.1%
Hispanic180193
 7.2%
Pacific Islander00
White381294
 22.8%
Two or More Races4473
 65.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients41.8%45.9%
 4.1%


Schools Near Palmer Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Palmer Middle School

Students who attend Palmer Middle School usually go on to attend North Cobb High School

Palmer Middle School ranks 164th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 828 students attended Palmer Middle School.

Students at Palmer Middle School are 36% White, 28% African American, 23% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 4% 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.





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