Is Fort Middle School a good school?

Fort Middle School ranks in the bottom 9.7% of Georgia middle schools.

How many students attend Fort Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 484 students attended Fort Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Fort Middle School?

Students at Fort Middle School are 83% African American, 7% Hispanic, 5% White, 5% Two or more races.

Fort Middle School

Summary:

Fort Middle School is a public middle school located in Columbus, Georgia, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 511 students. The school is part of the Muscogee County School District, which is ranked 155 out of 203 districts in Georgia and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Fort Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the Muscogee County and Georgia state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 31.3% of Fort Middle School students were proficient or better in the Milestones Assessment/Algebra I, compared to 32.7% in Muscogee County and 44% statewide. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 96.58% to 96.67% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Additionally, Fort Middle School has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 15.9 to 17.8 over the past few years, which is higher than the nearby schools, and its spending per student has fluctuated between $8,049 and $8,934 over the past few years, which is lower than the spending at some of the nearby schools.

When comparing Fort Middle School to the nearby schools in the Muscogee County School District, it becomes clear that Fort Middle School is one of the lowest-performing schools in the district. For example, Aaron Cohn Middle School and Blackmon Road Middle School significantly outperform Fort Middle School in academic achievement, with much higher proficiency rates in Milestones Assessments across all subject areas. Additionally, East Columbus Magnet Academy, a public magnet school within the Muscogee County School District, also outperforms Fort Middle School in academic achievement, despite serving a student population with a similarly high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2900 Woodruff Farm Rd
Columbus, GA 31907

(706) 569-3740

District: Muscogee County

SchoolDigger Rank:
531^st of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,663

Feeder schools for Fort Middle School:

Elementary:

Forrest Road Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.1

Number of students: 484

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.6%

Hispanic:

6.8%

White:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.6%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Fort Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fort Middle School ranks worse than 90.3% of middle schools in Georgia. It also ranks 8^th among 12 ranked middle schools in the Muscogee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.24. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (82.6%), Hispanic (6.8%), White (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fort Middle School is 17.1. 9 middle schools in the Muscogee County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Fort Middle School employs 28.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fort Middle School is $8,663, which is the lowest among 12 middle schools in the Muscogee County School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Middle School 531^st of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Fort Middle School in the ranking list.)

Muscogee County:

SchoolDigger ranks Muscogee County 155^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Fort Middle School.

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Your rating for Fort Middle School?

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Rank History for Fort Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	40.30	306^th	420	27.1%
2007	34.82	339^th	445	23.8%
2008	29.27	378^th	462	18.2%
2009	26.93	401^st	466	13.9%
2010	34.85	373^rd	494	24.5%
2011	23.75	431^st	504	14.5%
2012	25.08	431^st	508	15.2%
2013	39.31	375^th	527	28.8%
2014	43.71	353^rd	521	32.2%
2015	22.01	426^th	537	20.7%
2016	22.04	432^nd	545	20.7%
2017	20.10	443^rd	539	17.8%
2018	18.08	458^th	543	15.7%
2019	20.18	460^th	559	17.7%
2021	19.05	444^th	542	18.1%
2022	12.31	516^th	567	9.0%
2023	11.36	543^rd	577	5.9%
2024	13.24	531^st	588	9.7%

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: 3.3)

50%

25%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Saturday, August 27, 2011

Fort Middle School is now Fort Middle Service Learning Magnet Academy! Student are provided with an education that will not only help them pass the state standards but to become a servant leader in their future. The proud principal, Mrs. Coaxum and the proud assistanct principal, Ms. Collier are both excellent educational leaders. Close Quote

by a teacher
Monday, March 28, 2011

Fort Middle School is an EXCELLENT SCHOOL. We have wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, well-rounded, highly educated students - great parents and a very supportive and involved community. The faculty and staff members are hard working, caring, smart, dedicated, and always willing to go the extra mile. We educate the total child. We are Fort Middle School, The Best Middle School in the World!!! I am so proud to be a Patriot!!!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Fort 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	838	838
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	899	899
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	908	908
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	853	853
1994	446	353	13	26	5	n/a	n/a	0	843
1995	340	281	18	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	676
1996	340	281	18	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	676
1997	369	279	19	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	699
1998	377	301	15	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	722
1999	342	290	8	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	669
2000	280	321	11	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	639
2001	221	324	7	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	576
2002	189	362	8	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	580
2003	189	362	8	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	580
2004	143	406	9	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	574
2005	129	449	12	13	0	n/a	n/a	12	615
2006	106	407	8	19	1	n/a	n/a	24	565
2007	88	355	7	22	0	n/a	n/a	17	489
2008	68	421	5	19	0	n/a	n/a	24	537
2009	54	406	6	23	0	n/a	n/a	19	508
2010	64	411	3	0	0	1	45	0	524
2011	49	455	4	30	2	0	27	0	567
2012	40	465	6	24	1	1	28	0	565
2013	37	507	7	27	1	1	25	0	605
2014	37	491	4	20	0	2	28	0	582
2015	29	438	5	18	0	1	19	0	510
2016	31	440	2	22	0	2	26	0	523
2017	30	468	4	33	0	1	30	0	566
2018	25	454	1	40	0	1	23	0	544
2019	30	519	1	29	1	1	28	0	609
2020	42	558	0	30	0	2	32	0	664
2021	38	531	1	47	1	3	38	0	659
2022	46	425	1	52	0	1	32	0	557
2023	24	416	1	42	0	0	28	0	511
2024	26	400	0	33	0	0	25	0	484

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 Fort Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	838	45.0	18.6	18.1
1991	899	45.0	19.9	16.5
1992	908	46.0	19.7	20.9
1993	853	50.0	17.1	25.3
1994	843	57.8	14.6	28
1995	676	41.0	16.5	27.5
1996	676	41.0	16.5	27.5
1997	699	43.8	16.0	38.9
1998	722	45.4	15.9	50
1999	669	49.2	13.6	42
2000	639	43.6	14.7	46.5
2001	576	40.6	14.2	50.9
2002	580	41.8	13.9	62.1
2003	580	41.8	13.9	62.1
2004	574	41.3	13.9	63.9
2005	615	42.8	14.4	61.9
2006	565	42.7	13.2	73.4
2007	489	37.1	13.2	75.4
2008	537	38.9	13.8	85
2009	508	38.3	13.3	76.9
2010	524	42.0	12.4	78.4
2011	567	41.5	13.6	82
2012	565	41.0	13.7	81.8
2013	605	41.8	14.4	82.1
2014	582	38.4	15.1	86.4
2015	510	31.0	16.4	85.3
2016	523	31.0	16.8	89.3
2017	566	31.8	17.7	100
2018	544	31.9	17.0	94.5
2019	609	35.0	17.4	94.4
2020	664	36.1	18.3	91.9
2021	659	36.9	17.8	96.7
2022	557	32.4	17.1	n/a
2023	511	32.1	15.9	96.7
2024	484	28.2	17.1	99.6

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 Fort Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	838	45.0	18.6	18.1
1991	899	45.0	19.9	16.5
1992	908	46.0	19.7	20.9
1993	853	50.0	17.1	25.3
1994	843	57.8	14.6	28
1995	676	41.0	16.5	27.5
1996	676	41.0	16.5	27.5
1997	699	43.8	16.0	38.9
1998	722	45.4	15.9	50
1999	669	49.2	13.6	42
2000	639	43.6	14.7	46.5
2001	576	40.6	14.2	50.9
2002	580	41.8	13.9	62.1
2003	580	41.8	13.9	62.1
2004	574	41.3	13.9	63.9
2005	615	42.8	14.4	61.9
2006	565	42.7	13.2	73.4
2007	489	37.1	13.2	75.4
2008	537	38.9	13.8	85
2009	508	38.3	13.3	76.9
2010	524	42.0	12.4	78.4
2011	567	41.5	13.6	82
2012	565	41.0	13.7	81.8
2013	605	41.8	14.4	82.1
2014	582	38.4	15.1	86.4
2015	510	31.0	16.4	85.3
2016	523	31.0	16.8	89.3
2017	566	31.8	17.7	100
2018	544	31.9	17.0	94.5
2019	609	35.0	17.4	94.4
2020	664	36.1	18.3	91.9
2021	659	36.9	17.8	96.7
2022	557	32.4	17.1	n/a
2023	511	32.1	15.9	96.7
2024	484	28.2	17.1	99.6

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 Fort Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$581 (7.2%)	$7,468 (92.8%)	$8,049
2018	$806 (9.0%)	$8,128 (91.0%)	$8,934
2019	$719 (8.3%)	$7,944 (91.7%)	$8,663

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fort 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 460^th of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 543^rd of 577 Middle schools	11.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Middle School)	37.6	18.6	19%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Muscogee County)	38.8	27.3	11.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Fort Middle School)	15	3	12%
6th Grade Mathematics (Muscogee County)	27.1	14.9	12.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Middle School)	22.1	9.8	12.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Muscogee County)	31.4	27	4.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Fort Middle School)	18.9	2.3	16.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Muscogee County)	30.5	20.4	10.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Middle School)	31.4	17.5	13.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Muscogee County)	41.9	31	10.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Fort Middle School)	8.2	8.3	0.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Muscogee County)	29	22.5	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Fort Middle School)	8.8	7.1	1.7%
8th Grade Science (Muscogee County)	22	17.4	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Fort Middle School)	20.6	11.8	8.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Muscogee County)	32.7	24.8	7.9%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Fort Middle School)	25.5	4.3	21.2%
End of Course Algebra I (Muscogee County)	29	22.9	6.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	38.7	2.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	609	511	16.1%
African American	519	416	19.8%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	29	42	44.8%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	30	24	20%
Two or More Races	28	28
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.4%	96.7%	2.3%

Schools Near Fort 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
Fort Middle School	Public	6-8	2900 Woodruff Farm Rd	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 569-3740	484	28	17.1	99.6%	26 (5.4%)	400 (82.6%)	33 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	13.2	531^st of 588 public middle schools	9.7%		11.4	543^rd of 577 public middle schools	5.9%	12	31.3	18.1	19.3	23.9	2.8	6.8	19.4	7.8	11.5	$8,663	$719	$7,944
East Columbus Magnet Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	6100 Georgetown Dr	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(706) 565-3026	413	27	15.0	98.3%	7 (1.7%)	365 (88.4%)	20 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	15.4	513^th of 588 public middle schools	12.8%		13	531^st of 577 public middle schools	8.0%	18	18.2	23.1	21.2	23.9	6.2	13.1	10.6	5.9	18.4	$10,203	$794	$9,409
Rothschild Leadership Academy School	Public	6-8	1136 Hunt Ave	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 569-3709	540	29	18.3	100.0%	10 (1.9%)	477 (88.3%)	29 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.3%)	7.5	571^st of 588 public middle schools	2.9%		7.3	564^th of 577 public middle schools	2.3%	7	10.5	11.5	8.4	15.9	1.1	3.1	6.0	5.3	9.3	$10,134	$851	$9,283
Richards Middle School	Public	6-8	2892 Edgewood Rd	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 569-3697	809	48	17.0	80.3%	192 (23.7%)	409 (50.6%)	88 (10.9%)	65 (8.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (6.6%)	71.8	140^th of 588 public middle schools	76.2%		71.6	138^th of 577 public middle schools	76.1%	2	100.0	52.8	55.0	52.2	34.0	46.6	49.4	41.1	39.7	$8,870	$514	$8,355
Blackmon Road Middle School	Public	6-8	7251 Blackmon Rd	Columbus	31909	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 565-2998	534	45	11.9	63.3%	159 (29.8%)	225 (42.1%)	67 (12.5%)	44 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (6.9%)	61.6	193^rd of 588 public middle schools	67.2%		61.2	197^th of 577 public middle schools	65.9%	4	96.8	38.4	34.5	57.4	33.3	25.1	53.0	37.6	48.6	$9,476	$336	$9,140
Arnold Middle School	Public	6-8	2011 51st St	Columbus	31904	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-2436	625	37	16.8	85.6%	105 (16.8%)	287 (45.9%)	186 (29.8%)	7 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (5.9%)	13.2	532^nd of 588 public middle schools	9.5%		14.4	518^th of 577 public middle schools	10.2%	14		19.1	20.4	21.9	8.6	8.5	4.5	7.1	15.4	$9,246	$510	$8,736
Midland Middle School	Public	6-8	6990 Warm Springs Rd	Midland	31820	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 569-3673	459	35	13.3	75.4%	81 (17.6%)	286 (62.3%)	37 (8.1%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.8%)	27.5	424^th of 588 public middle schools	27.9%		26	430^th of 577 public middle schools	25.5%	6	86.4	20.9	25.9	29.4	16.9	17.7	31.9	14.5	30.2	$11,048	$952	$10,096
Baker Middle School	Public	6-8	1215 Benning Dr	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8721	547	41	13.2	100.0%	10 (1.8%)	424 (77.5%)	83 (15.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.2%)	5.8	579^th of 588 public middle schools	1.5%		6.5	566^th of 577 public middle schools	1.9%	13		8.5	8.1	9.6	4.7	1.6	1.8	0.0	4.8	$10,049	$893	$9,156
Eddy Middle School	Public	6-8	2100 S Lumpkin Rd	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8782	437	28	15.8	100.0%	11 (2.5%)	317 (72.5%)	75 (17.2%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.4%)	7.1	573^rd of 588 public middle schools	2.6%		8.6	558^th of 577 public middle schools	3.3%	15		8.7	6.1	14.9	5.3	3.8	5.6	3.8	5.7	$10,051	$1,034	$9,017
Aaron Cohn Middle School	Public	6-8	7352 Garrett Rd	Midland	31820	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 569-3801	549	32	17.4	44.3%	167 (30.4%)	253 (46.1%)	57 (10.4%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (10.7%)	66.9	166^th of 588 public middle schools	71.8%		78	108^th of 577 public middle schools	81.3%	58	90.0	47.5	55.4	52.7	29.8	49.1	45.6	26.4	41.8	$8,841	$290	$8,551

Fort Middle School

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Enrollment information for Fort Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Fort Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Fort Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Fort Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Fort Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Fort Middle School