South Forsyth Middle School

Summary:

South Forsyth Middle School is a highly-rated public middle school located in Cumming, Georgia, serving 1,411 students in grades 6-8. This school is part of the Forsyth County School District, which is ranked 10th out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Forsyth Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Georgia, with exceptional performance on the Georgia Milestones assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 98% of students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 65.1% in Forsyth County and 44% statewide. In English Language Arts, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 75.2% to 86.7% across the grade levels, well above the county and state averages. Similarly, in Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates were 82.6% to 90.3%, significantly higher than the district and state. This outstanding academic performance is further highlighted by the school's low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 3.01% to 3.33% over the past three years, much lower than the state average.

When comparing South Forsyth Middle School to nearby middle schools in the Forsyth County district, it consistently outperforms them on academic measures. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, South Forsyth had 98% proficiency in Algebra I, compared to 98.7% for Vickery Creek Middle, 96.9% for Lakeside Middle, and 99% for Piney Grove Middle. Additionally, when compared to highly-ranked schools in neighboring districts, such as Webb Bridge Middle School in Fulton County and North Gwinnett Middle School in Gwinnett County, South Forsyth Middle School's performance is equally impressive.

Detail:

Public 6-8

4670 Windermere Parkway
Cumming, GA 30041

(770) 888-3170

District: Forsyth County

SchoolDigger Rank:
7^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Feeder schools for South Forsyth Middle School:

Elementary:	Brookwood Elementary
	Sharon Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.9

Number of students: 1,411

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

50.5%

White:

38.0%

Hispanic:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 3.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details South Forsyth Middle School ranks better than 98.8% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.04. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks South Forsyth Middle School 7^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See South Forsyth Middle School in the ranking list.)

Forsyth County:

SchoolDigger ranks Forsyth County 10^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for South Forsyth Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	87.60	19^th	420	95.5%
2007	89.60	11^th	445	97.5%
2008	91.05	6^th	462	98.7%
2009	89.20	5^th	466	98.9%
2010	89.61	2^nd	494	99.6%
2011	87.24	5^th	504	99.0%
2012	86.46	5^th	508	99.0%
2013	86.56	3^rd	527	99.4%
2014	85.33	10^th	521	98.1%
2015	99.63	1^st	537	99.8%
2016	99.64	1^st	545	99.8%
2017	99.70	2^nd	539	99.6%
2018	99.52	2^nd	543	99.6%
2019	99.44	2^nd	559	99.6%
2021	98.26	8^th	542	98.5%
2022	99.43	2^nd	567	99.6%
2023	99.37	4^th	577	99.3%
2024	99.04	7^th	588	98.8%

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: 4.9)

86%

14%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Having a child go through middle school is hard, especially during Covid hitting during 6th grade. My child is completing the 8th grade year at SFMS and while I don't have many complaints about the education received during trying times, I am very disappointed that the new principal elected to do nothing for the 8th grade to celebrate their last year in Middle School.

Instead of a dance, an after school carnival was offered. No field trip, no honor roll acknowledgement. Nothing special for kids that spent all 3 years defined by covid. What an absolute let down and shows her lack of engagement with those she elected to lead and inspire.

As far as the education received, our time had covid for 1/2 the time. The last principal seemed more engaged and present for parents and kids. My child is a self motivator and no work struggles were felt, so I can't speak for kids with any struggles. I don't feel many of the teachers tried to connect with the kids, and what they taught my child understood. The homework was balanced. Close Quote

by a student
Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Great school! Close Quote

Enrollment information for South Forsyth Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	722	2	1	46	5	n/a	n/a	0	776
2000	778	5	1	18	5	n/a	n/a	0	807
2001	940	9	6	33	8	n/a	n/a	0	996
2002	1182	15	31	61	4	n/a	n/a	0	1293
2003	1182	15	31	61	4	n/a	n/a	0	1293
2004	1266	28	37	54	3	n/a	n/a	0	1388
2005	655	26	35	57	3	n/a	n/a	13	789
2006	709	32	64	50	2	n/a	n/a	11	868
2007	797	34	81	70	2	n/a	n/a	11	995
2008	725	18	61	27	1	n/a	n/a	11	843
2009	797	19	86	28	2	n/a	n/a	21	953
2010	681	19	67	41	1	1	20	0	830
2011	661	19	83	46	2	0	27	0	838
2012	696	18	121	46	0	0	23	0	904
2013	743	14	120	50	4	0	24	0	955
2014	742	28	173	44	2	0	31	0	1020
2015	842	36	228	43	3	1	40	0	1193
2016	829	33	312	55	1	1	42	0	1273
2017	774	36	364	57	0	1	36	0	1268
2018	736	31	435	62	3	2	36	0	1305
2019	654	30	487	74	4	2	51	0	1302
2020	616	34	561	75	7	1	45	0	1339
2021	607	43	629	85	8	1	57	0	1430
2022	600	43	686	70	8	1	49	0	1457
2023	536	35	712	64	11	1	52	0	1411

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 South Forsyth Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	776	48.0	16.2	10.6
2000	807	49.0	16.5	5.9
2001	996	58.0	17.2	5.2
2002	1293	75.0	17.2	5.5
2003	1293	75.0	17.2	5.5
2004	1388	84.3	16.5	5.4
2005	789	51.0	15.5	8.8
2006	868	59.0	14.7	7.1
2007	995	67.5	14.7	8
2008	843	59.0	14.3	3.6
2009	953	63.0	15.1	4.9
2010	830	51.2	16.2	6.6
2011	838	46.3	18.0	5.4
2012	904	51.5	17.5	5.3
2013	955	54.8	17.4	4.9
2014	1020	57.0	17.8	5.3
2015	1193	67.0	17.8	4.4
2016	1273	71.0	17.9	3.9
2017	1268	73.3	17.2	3.4
2018	1305	74.3	17.5	3.4
2019	1302	73.2	17.7	3.5
2020	1339	71.3	18.7	3.3
2021	1430	74.0	19.3	3
2022	1457	77.0	18.9	n/a
2023	1411	74.3	18.9	3.3

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 South Forsyth Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	776	48.0	16.2	10.6
2000	807	49.0	16.5	5.9
2001	996	58.0	17.2	5.2
2002	1293	75.0	17.2	5.5
2003	1293	75.0	17.2	5.5
2004	1388	84.3	16.5	5.4
2005	789	51.0	15.5	8.8
2006	868	59.0	14.7	7.1
2007	995	67.5	14.7	8
2008	843	59.0	14.3	3.6
2009	953	63.0	15.1	4.9
2010	830	51.2	16.2	6.6
2011	838	46.3	18.0	5.4
2012	904	51.5	17.5	5.3
2013	955	54.8	17.4	4.9
2014	1020	57.0	17.8	5.3
2015	1193	67.0	17.8	4.4
2016	1273	71.0	17.9	3.9
2017	1268	73.3	17.2	3.4
2018	1305	74.3	17.5	3.4
2019	1302	73.2	17.7	3.5
2020	1339	71.3	18.7	3.3
2021	1430	74.0	19.3	3
2022	1457	77.0	18.9	n/a
2023	1411	74.3	18.9	3.3

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 South Forsyth Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$117 (1.6%)	$7,330 (98.4%)	$7,448
2018	$127 (1.6%)	$7,572 (98.3%)	$7,700
2019	$134 (1.7%)	$7,892 (98.3%)	$8,026

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Forsyth 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 2^nd of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 4^th of 577 Middle schools	0.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Forsyth Middle School)	88.2	81.7	6.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Forsyth County)	77	63.3	13.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (South Forsyth Middle School)	90.7	83.4	7.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Forsyth County)	71.9	64.8	7.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Forsyth Middle School)	85.4	82	3.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Forsyth County)	68.4	62.8	5.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Forsyth Middle School)	93.4	86.8	6.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Forsyth County)	76.8	69	7.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Forsyth Middle School)	91	78	13%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Forsyth County)	77	61.6	15.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Forsyth Middle School)	81.7	83.9	2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Forsyth County)	60.7	65.2	4.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (South Forsyth Middle School)	81.5	84	2.5%
8th Grade Social Studies (Forsyth County)	66.5	60.3	6.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (South Forsyth Middle School)	98.9	100	1.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Forsyth County)	76.3	62.5	13.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	35.8	5.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1302	1411	8.4%
African American	30	35	16.7%
American Indian	4	11	175%
Asian	487	712	46.2%
Hispanic	74	64	13.5%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	654	536	18%
Two or More Races	51	52	2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	3.5%	3.3%	0.2%

Schools Near South Forsyth 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 Biology (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 Biology 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
South Forsyth Middle School	Public	6-8	4670 Windermere Parkway	Cumming	30041	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 888-3170	1,411	74	18.9	3.3%	536 (38.0%)	35 (2.5%)	64 (4.5%)	712 (50.5%)	11 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (3.7%)	99	7^th of 588 public middle schools	98.8%		99.4	4^th of 577 public middle schools	99.3%	3	98.0		86.7	75.2	78.6	89.0	82.6	90.3		83.1	$8,026	$134	$7,892
Piney Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	8135 Majors Rd	Cumming	30041	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(678) 965-5010	1,026	57	17.9	7.5%	297 (28.9%)	43 (4.2%)	100 (9.7%)	546 (53.2%)	9 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.0%)	98.7	10^th of 588 public middle schools	98.3%		98.5	9^th of 577 public middle schools	98.4%	1	99.0		76.4	74.4	79.5	77.6	85.4	86.8		82.9	$9,009	$136	$8,873
Riverwatch Middle School	Public	6-8	610 James Burgess Rd	Suwanee	30024	Gwinnett County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(678) 455-7311	1,537	81	19.0	4.7%	384 (25.0%)	81 (5.3%)	97 (6.3%)	910 (59.2%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	58 (3.8%)	99.2	4^th of 588 public middle schools	99.3%		99.4	3^rd of 577 public middle schools	99.5%	1	95.4		83.7	82.2	81.9	83.1	88.8	86.8		83.1	$7,313	$133	$7,179
Lakeside Middle School	Public	6-8	2565 Echols Rd	Cumming	30041	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(678) 455-7311	1,477	81	18.1	7.9%	635 (43.0%)	49 (3.3%)	146 (9.9%)	596 (40.4%)	6 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (3.0%)	97.2	17^th of 588 public middle schools	97.1%		96	25^th of 577 public middle schools	95.7%	8	96.9		75.1	68.3	71.8	75.3	74.5	84.0		70.8	$8,067	$201	$7,866
DeSana Middle School	Public	6-8	625 James Road	Alpharetta	30004	Fulton County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 667-2591	1,215	69	17.5	17.9%	302 (24.9%)	118 (9.7%)	224 (18.4%)	531 (43.7%)	8 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (2.6%)	93.4	42^nd of 588 public middle schools	92.9%		93.9	39^th of 577 public middle schools	93.2%	3	91.7		69.7	62.2	64.6	67.5	67.5	71.3		61.8	$8,430	$133	$8,297
River Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	10795 Rogers Cir	Duluth	30097	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-3860	1,088	77	14.1	8.8%	215 (19.8%)	145 (13.3%)	81 (7.4%)	588 (54.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (5.1%)	98.8	9^th of 588 public middle schools	98.5%		97.9	12^th of 577 public middle schools	97.9%	3	96.6		83.4	78.9	82.9	86.7	86.3	81.6	62.9	72.4	$9,748	$178	$9,570
Taylor Road Middle School	Public	6-8	5150 Taylor Rd	Alpharetta	30022	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-7090	1,250	82	15.2	9.0%	484 (38.7%)	152 (12.2%)	147 (11.8%)	421 (33.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (3.6%)	97.5	15^th of 588 public middle schools	97.4%		95.3	32^nd of 577 public middle schools	94.5%	17	98.7		80.9	72.7	72.9	73.5	74.6	82.4	56.3	69.1	$9,928	$168	$9,760
Lanier Middle School	Public	6-8	6482 Suwanee Dam Rd	Sugar Hill	30518	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(770) 945-8419	1,349	90	15.0	46.1%	480 (35.6%)	267 (19.8%)	403 (29.9%)	121 (9.0%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	74 (5.5%)	88.7	61^st of 588 public middle schools	89.6%		89.6	53^rd of 577 public middle schools	90.8%	8	99.2		57.2	61.1	62.3	48.2	64.3	72.8		59.3	$8,390	$231	$8,159
Webb Bridge Middle School	Public	6-8	4455 Webb Bridge Rd	Alpharetta	30005	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-2940	1,173	83	14.2	9.5%	342 (29.2%)	120 (10.2%)	145 (12.4%)	500 (42.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (5.5%)	99.1	6^th of 588 public middle schools	99.0%		99	5^th of 577 public middle schools	99.1%	1	99.6		82.2	81.9	85.9	75.6	84.0	87.8	78.6	77.0	$10,461	$151	$10,310
North Gwinnett Middle School	Public	6-8	170 Peachtree Industrial Blvd	Sugar Hill	30518	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(678) 745-2300	2,168	131	16.5	14.6%	795 (36.7%)	279 (12.9%)	181 (8.3%)	771 (35.6%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	139 (6.4%)	99	8^th of 588 public middle schools	98.6%		98.7	8^th of 577 public middle schools	98.6%		97.2	98.2	79.2	80.7	78.3	81.9	88.4	91.8		76.5	$8,243	$304	$7,939

Frequently Asked Questions about South Forsyth Middle School

What is the racial makeup of South Forsyth Middle School?

Students at South Forsyth Middle School are 50% Asian, 38% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What district is South Forsyth Middle School in?

Forsyth County

How many students attend South Forsyth Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,411 students attended South Forsyth Middle School.

Is South Forsyth Middle School a good school?

Yes! South Forsyth Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 7^th of 588 Georgia middle schools.

Rate South Forsyth 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.