Merry Acres Middle School

Summary:

Merry Acres Middle School is a public middle school in Albany, Georgia, serving 764 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Dougherty County School District, which is ranked 165 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Merry Acres Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the Dougherty County and Georgia state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 13.8% to 23.6% at Merry Acres, compared to 26% to 27.2% for Dougherty County and 39.8% to 44.7% for the state. The school also has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, with 100% of students receiving this benefit in recent years, suggesting a predominantly low-income student population. Despite the high per-student spending and relatively low student-teacher ratio, Merry Acres Middle School has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade, except for the 2020-2021 school year when it received a 0-star rating.

In contrast to the other schools in the Dougherty County district, Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School consistently outperforms the state averages across all subject areas and grade levels, highlighting the potential impact of a magnet school program on student achievement. The nearby Radium Springs Middle School and Albany Middle School also perform poorly compared to the state, but they generally outperform Merry Acres Middle School, suggesting that the challenges faced by Merry Acres may be more pronounced than those of other schools in the district.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1601 Florence Dr
Albany, GA 31707

(229) 431-3338

District: Dougherty County

SchoolDigger Rank:
485^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Students who attend Merry Acres Middle School usually attend:

High:

Westover High School

Feeder schools for Merry Acres Middle School:

Elementary:	Lake Park Elementary School
	Live Oak Elementary School
	Sherwood Acres Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.3

Number of students: 764

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.5%

White:

3.1%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Merry Acres Middle School ranks worse than 82.5% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.56. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Merry Acres Middle School 485^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Merry Acres Middle School in the ranking list.)

Dougherty County:

SchoolDigger ranks Dougherty County 165^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Merry Acres Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	43.34	285^th	420	32.1%
2007	44.73	293^rd	445	34.2%
2008	47.68	273^rd	462	40.9%
2009	51.57	252^nd	466	45.9%
2010	48.63	287^th	494	41.9%
2011	53.98	259^th	504	48.6%
2012	60.12	226^th	508	55.5%
2013	54.46	277^th	527	47.4%
2014	52.49	293^rd	521	43.8%
2015	45.58	283^rd	537	47.3%
2016	23.59	427^th	545	21.7%
2017	22.60	430^th	539	20.2%
2018	18.04	459^th	543	15.5%
2019	17.53	478^th	559	14.5%
2021	10.40	502^nd	542	7.4%
2022	15.16	488^th	567	13.9%
2023	22.70	449^th	577	22.2%
2024	19.56	485^th	588	17.5%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, May 4, 2015

I lovedddddddddddddd this school! It was the best! They lest us pick our lockers, though they were dusty and brownish-color, they still were nice if you picked the right one (look out for locker 70, people!). They let us talk in the halls and at lunch, though sometimes if we were really loud (huehuehue lots of times our class shut all of the lunch talking down) they would put us on silent lunch for a little bit, perhaps the rest of the day, and usually the next day. I never got lunch detention, but people said it was fun. You couldn't talk, but people were still friendly. They also added a new part of the school that you could seriously tell you entered a whole new school. It was designated for 8th grade, and all new lockers and classrooms and halls were there. It's sort of dusty and spaced out now, for Excel has come and gone to Robert Cross (like me D:). I've been there since then, though, for 4-H competitions and such, and I know people there still. I remember how fun PE was, even though they'd push you a bit, they wouldn't knock you down. They also had the newest technology of all the schools, for they're a Title I school (they gain money from the community to support falling community members) and gain lots of money in the process. The school may be a bit dusty, old, and sometimes ghetto, but if you go to this school, you won't regret it! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Merry Acres 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	501	501
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	560	560
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	618	618
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	602	602
1994	251	389	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	642
1995	168	431	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	605
1996	168	431	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	605
1997	221	558	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	785
1998	187	570	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	761
1999	168	610	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	781
2000	164	592	8	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	766
2001	143	629	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	780
2002	172	663	7	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	851
2003	172	663	7	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	851
2004	149	688	8	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	860
2005	122	679	7	15	2	n/a	n/a	1	826
2006	115	692	7	6	3	n/a	n/a	5	828
2007	103	681	7	6	1	n/a	n/a	3	801
2008	109	668	13	3	0	n/a	n/a	6	799
2009	101	625	13	7	0	n/a	n/a	7	753
2010	104	629	10	4	1	1	18	0	767
2011	99	625	8	1	1	1	17	0	752
2012	88	679	7	3	1	1	7	0	786
2013	78	694	4	7	0	4	12	0	799
2014	93	781	1	3	5	3	12	0	898
2015	77	780	1	6	3	1	14	0	882
2016	25	570	1	5	0	0	7	0	608
2017	13	576	2	5	0	0	7	0	603
2018	31	630	1	9	1	1	12	0	685
2019	28	635	1	6	1	1	13	0	685
2020	36	689	2	6	2	1	12	0	748
2021	29	656	2	12	0	0	16	0	715
2022	23	667	1	16	0	0	19	0	726
2023	24	699	2	18	0	0	21	0	764

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 Merry Acres Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	501	34.0	14.7	51.3
1991	560	32.0	17.5	45.7
1992	618	30.0	20.6	47.6
1993	602	31.0	19.4	51.7
1994	642	30.9	20.8	57.3
1995	605	32.0	18.9	59
1996	605	32.0	18.9	59
1997	785	50.6	15.5	58.1
1998	761	48.6	15.7	84.6
1999	781	46.2	16.9	63.5
2000	766	48.1	15.9	57.8
2001	780	48.6	16.0	61.8
2002	851	53.6	15.9	79.2
2003	851	53.6	15.9	79.2
2004	860	55.0	15.6	67
2005	826	54.4	15.2	67
2006	828	53.0	15.6	65
2007	801	58.6	13.7	68
2008	799	61.6	13.0	71
2009	753	54.1	13.9	73.7
2010	767	50.6	15.1	72.8
2011	752	43.6	17.2	72.3
2012	786	43.6	18.0	70.6
2013	799	48.1	16.6	75.6
2014	898	51.6	17.4	99.7
2015	882	55.0	16.0	100
2016	608	50.0	12.1	99.5
2017	603	39.6	15.2	100
2018	685	41.6	16.4	67.4
2019	685	47.6	14.3	100
2020	748	43.6	17.1	100
2021	715	39.0	18.3	100
2022	726	46.5	15.6	n/a
2023	764	44.0	17.3	100

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 Merry Acres Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	501	34.0	14.7	51.3
1991	560	32.0	17.5	45.7
1992	618	30.0	20.6	47.6
1993	602	31.0	19.4	51.7
1994	642	30.9	20.8	57.3
1995	605	32.0	18.9	59
1996	605	32.0	18.9	59
1997	785	50.6	15.5	58.1
1998	761	48.6	15.7	84.6
1999	781	46.2	16.9	63.5
2000	766	48.1	15.9	57.8
2001	780	48.6	16.0	61.8
2002	851	53.6	15.9	79.2
2003	851	53.6	15.9	79.2
2004	860	55.0	15.6	67
2005	826	54.4	15.2	67
2006	828	53.0	15.6	65
2007	801	58.6	13.7	68
2008	799	61.6	13.0	71
2009	753	54.1	13.9	73.7
2010	767	50.6	15.1	72.8
2011	752	43.6	17.2	72.3
2012	786	43.6	18.0	70.6
2013	799	48.1	16.6	75.6
2014	898	51.6	17.4	99.7
2015	882	55.0	16.0	100
2016	608	50.0	12.1	99.5
2017	603	39.6	15.2	100
2018	685	41.6	16.4	67.4
2019	685	47.6	14.3	100
2020	748	43.6	17.1	100
2021	715	39.0	18.3	100
2022	726	46.5	15.6	n/a
2023	764	44.0	17.3	100

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 Merry Acres Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,168 (12.0%)	$8,532 (88.0%)	$9,700
2018	$1,030 (10.8%)	$8,501 (89.2%)	$9,532
2019	$1,117 (10.7%)	$9,321 (89.3%)	$10,438

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Merry Acres 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 478^th of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 449^th of 577 Middle schools	7.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Merry Acres Middle School)	21.6	15.5	6.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Dougherty County)	30.9	22.1	8.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Merry Acres Middle School)	13.9	7.5	6.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Dougherty County)	22.4	18.7	3.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Merry Acres Middle School)	21.3	13.3	8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Dougherty County)	24.8	23.2	1.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Merry Acres Middle School)	11.6	5.8	5.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Dougherty County)	23.1	17.6	5.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Merry Acres Middle School)	21.8	25	3.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Dougherty County)	19.9	26.5	6.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Merry Acres Middle School)	25.5	18.8	6.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Dougherty County)	23.6	24.6	1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Merry Acres Middle School)	23.8	25.1	1.3%
8th Grade Science (Dougherty County)	21.3	28.2	6.9%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Merry Acres Middle School)	7.4	31.1	23.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Dougherty County)	18.9	24.2	5.3%
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	685	764	11.5%
African American	635	699	10.1%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	6	18	200%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	28	24	14.3%
Two or More Races	13	21	61.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Merry Acres 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
Merry Acres Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 Florence Dr	Albany	31707	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 431-3338	764	44	17.3	100.0%	24 (3.1%)	699 (91.5%)	18 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.7%)	19.6	485^th of 588 public middle schools	17.5%		22.7	449^th of 577 public middle schools	22.2%	36		13.8	20.3	23.6	4.4	9.6	24.9	20.5	24.5	$10,438	$1,117	$9,321
Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet	Public, Magnet	6-8	324 Lockett Station Rd	Albany	31721	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(229) 431-3362	529	38	13.8	100.0%	20 (3.8%)	470 (88.8%)	22 (4.2%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.3%)	97.8	14^th of 588 public middle schools	97.6%		98	10^th of 577 public middle schools	98.3%	4	100.0	84.2	80.6	75.6	73.9	65.3	84.4	75.6	68.8	$9,521	$659	$8,862
Albany Middle School	Public	6-8	1700 Cordell Ave	Albany	31705	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 431-3325	833	54	15.3	100.0%	27 (3.2%)	776 (93.2%)	19 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.2%)	19.6	482^nd of 588 public middle schools	18.0%		17.9	484^th of 577 public middle schools	16.1%	2		19.3	17.1	16.8	7.9	11.1	24.8	26.8	12.9	$9,534	$1,084	$8,450
Radium Springs Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 Radium Springs Rd	Albany	31705	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 431-3346	919	52	17.8	100.0%	20 (2.2%)	835 (90.9%)	42 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.0%)	7.9	568^th of 588 public middle schools	3.4%		8.3	559^th of 577 public middle schools	3.1%	9		12.6	7.8	12.8	5.3	3.3	7.4	5.0	8.9	$9,483	$1,186	$8,296
Lee County Middle School East	Public	6-8	185 Firetower Rd	Leesburg	31763	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 903-3500	676	47	14.3	51.3%	440 (65.1%)	174 (25.7%)	29 (4.3%)	13 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (2.7%)	67.3	163^rd of 588 public middle schools	72.3%		69.1	148^th of 577 public middle schools	74.4%	15	96.4	43.1	45.1	53.3	39.7	39.6	56.2	33.7	38.8	$8,642	$502	$8,140
Lee County Middle School West	Public	6-8	190 Smithville Rd N	Leesburg	31763	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 903-2140	799	53	14.9	44.2%	476 (59.6%)	221 (27.7%)	37 (4.6%)	32 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.1%)	74.8	126^th of 588 public middle schools	78.6%		78.3	107^th of 577 public middle schools	81.5%	19	98.1	47.7	41.0	54.1	50.2	43.9	65.4	39.5	50.2	$8,028	$448	$7,580
Terrell Middle School	Public	6-8	201 Greenwave Blvd	Dawson	39842	Terrell County	Terrell County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 995-2828	244	20	12.5	100.0%	12 (4.9%)	227 (93.0%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14.9	517^th of 588 public middle schools	12.1%		18.7	479^th of 577 public middle schools	17.0%	38		6.1	26.7	20.6	2.4	13.3	16.2	4.4	23.5	$10,552	$1,189	$9,363

Frequently Asked Questions about Merry Acres Middle School

Is Merry Acres Middle School a good school?

Merry Acres Middle School ranks in the bottom 17.5% of Georgia middle schools.

What district is Merry Acres Middle School in?

Dougherty County

How many students attend Merry Acres Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 764 students attended Merry Acres Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Merry Acres Middle School?

Students at Merry Acres Middle School are 91% African American, 3% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Merry Acres Middle School attend?

Students who attend Merry Acres Middle School usually go on to attend Westover High School

Rate Merry Acres 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.