J. A. Dobbins Middle School

Q: Is J. A. Dobbins Middle School a good school?

J. A. Dobbins Middle School ranks 327 th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

J. A. Dobbins Middle School is a public middle school located in Powder Springs, Georgia, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 532. The school is part of the Paulding County School District, which is ranked 87 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the school's notable strengths is its exceptional performance in Algebra I End of Course assessments, with proficiency rates around 80-90% compared to 35-44% for the Paulding County and Georgia state averages. However, the school lags behind the county and state in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies proficiency rates for grades 6-8, often scoring 5-10 percentage points lower. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 182 to 327 out of 500-600 Georgia middle schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has been consistently 3 out of 5 stars, indicating average performance compared to other middle schools in the state.

J. A. Dobbins Middle School has a relatively high percentage of free and reduced-lunch recipients, ranging from 56-61% in recent years, which is higher than the surrounding schools. The school's student-teacher ratio has improved over the years, decreasing from 15.1 in 2020-2021 to 12.9 in 2022-2023, which is lower than most nearby schools like South Paulding Middle School, Cooper Middle School, and East Paulding Middle School. While the school's Algebra I performance stands out as a unique strength, the need to strengthen core academic subjects, particularly in light of the school's socioeconomic challenges, presents an opportunity for the school to develop targeted strategies and interventions to support student learning and overall academic achievement.

Detail:

Public 6-8

637 Williams Lake Rd
Powder Springs, GA 30127

(770) 443-4835

District: Paulding County

SchoolDigger Rank:
327^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Students who attend J. A. Dobbins Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hiram High School

Feeder schools for J. A. Dobbins Middle School:

Elementary:	Bessie L. Baggett Elementary
	Sam D. Panter Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 532

Racial breakdown:

African American:

38.7%

White:

30.8%

Hispanic:

23.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details J. A. Dobbins Middle School ranks worse than 55.6% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.22. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

J. A. Dobbins Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks J. A. Dobbins Middle School 327^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See J. A. Dobbins Middle School in the ranking list.)

Paulding County:

SchoolDigger ranks Paulding County 87^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for J. A. Dobbins Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	67.95	122^nd	420	71.0%
2007	63.00	172^nd	445	61.3%
2008	60.53	181^st	462	60.8%
2009	59.88	199^th	466	57.3%
2010	61.07	202^nd	494	59.1%
2011	58.85	223^rd	504	55.8%
2012	62.51	203^rd	508	60.0%
2013	62.63	204^th	527	61.3%
2014	65.71	182^nd	521	65.1%
2015	54.64	216^th	537	59.8%
2016	55.87	221^st	545	59.4%
2017	57.80	200^th	539	62.9%
2018	54.38	220^th	543	59.5%
2019	51.80	253^rd	559	54.7%
2021	48.16	265^th	542	51.1%
2022	45.56	288^th	567	49.2%
2023	47.37	278^th	577	51.8%
2024	41.22	327^th	588	44.4%

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
Sunday, October 31, 2021

Bullying, lack of teacher guidance, low test scores (this school used to be a 8/10 on Greatschools a few years ago, but now it dropped to a 6/10), a useless school counselor are all issues at this school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for J. A. Dobbins Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	420	33	0	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	460
1998	434	46	0	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	495
1999	688	80	0	9	6	n/a	n/a	0	783
2000	757	108	1	15	6	n/a	n/a	0	887
2001	878	165	1	12	5	n/a	n/a	0	1061
2002	921	273	3	24	3	n/a	n/a	0	1224
2003	921	273	3	24	3	n/a	n/a	0	1224
2004	845	291	6	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	1166
2005	842	325	7	22	2	n/a	n/a	11	1209
2006	461	201	13	25	0	n/a	n/a	10	710
2007	450	226	6	32	1	n/a	n/a	17	732
2008	524	272	4	45	1	n/a	n/a	23	869
2009	532	307	7	52	0	n/a	n/a	28	926
2010	464	285	8	75	4	1	43	0	880
2011	501	287	7	69	1	2	45	0	912
2012	478	287	3	62	5	3	47	0	885
2013	477	245	4	63	2	3	43	0	837
2014	449	263	6	78	4	1	41	0	842
2015	409	250	8	76	4	1	45	0	793
2016	353	262	5	74	2	1	38	0	735
2017	345	236	6	77	1	2	40	0	707
2018	318	220	5	86	1	0	43	0	673
2019	276	225	5	102	0	0	35	0	643
2020	270	241	5	111	0	0	39	0	666
2021	221	215	5	120	1	0	45	0	607
2022	220	219	4	122	0	1	45	0	611
2023	164	206	4	123	0	1	34	0	532

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 J. A. Dobbins Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	460	29.0	15.9	17.2
1998	495	31.9	15.5	24.8
1999	783	45.8	17.1	22
2000	887	54.6	16.2	17.9
2001	1061	63.0	16.8	21.5
2002	1224	73.8	16.6	21.3
2003	1224	73.8	16.6	21.3
2004	1166	70.0	16.7	23.1
2005	1209	73.0	16.6	25.8
2006	710	55.0	12.9	39.3
2007	732	58.0	12.6	38.6
2008	869	71.0	12.2	41.5
2009	926	66.0	14.0	42
2010	880	62.0	14.1	46.4
2011	912	55.0	16.5	49.2
2012	885	53.0	16.6	52.1
2013	837	47.0	17.8	52.2
2014	842	47.0	17.9	56.7
2015	793	48.0	16.5	55.4
2016	735	50.0	14.7	55.5
2017	707	47.5	14.8	56
2018	673	43.0	15.6	54.4
2019	643	43.0	14.9	57.7
2020	666	42.5	15.6	56.8
2021	607	40.0	15.1	56.3
2022	611	41.1	14.8	n/a
2023	532	41.0	12.9	60.9

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 J. A. Dobbins Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	460	29.0	15.9	17.2
1998	495	31.9	15.5	24.8
1999	783	45.8	17.1	22
2000	887	54.6	16.2	17.9
2001	1061	63.0	16.8	21.5
2002	1224	73.8	16.6	21.3
2003	1224	73.8	16.6	21.3
2004	1166	70.0	16.7	23.1
2005	1209	73.0	16.6	25.8
2006	710	55.0	12.9	39.3
2007	732	58.0	12.6	38.6
2008	869	71.0	12.2	41.5
2009	926	66.0	14.0	42
2010	880	62.0	14.1	46.4
2011	912	55.0	16.5	49.2
2012	885	53.0	16.6	52.1
2013	837	47.0	17.8	52.2
2014	842	47.0	17.9	56.7
2015	793	48.0	16.5	55.4
2016	735	50.0	14.7	55.5
2017	707	47.5	14.8	56
2018	673	43.0	15.6	54.4
2019	643	43.0	14.9	57.7
2020	666	42.5	15.6	56.8
2021	607	40.0	15.1	56.3
2022	611	41.1	14.8	n/a
2023	532	41.0	12.9	60.9

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 J. A. Dobbins Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$104 (1.2%)	$8,877 (98.9%)	$8,980
2018	$85 (0.9%)	$8,951 (99.1%)	$9,035
2019	$360 (3.4%)	$10,077 (96.6%)	$10,436

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on J. A. Dobbins 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 253^rd of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 278^th of 577 Middle schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	44.7	39.2	5.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Paulding County)	54.7	42.3	12.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	33.2	29.5	3.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Paulding County)	43.3	32.9	10.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	36.7	35	1.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Paulding County)	44.8	39.1	5.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	39.2	23.2	16%
7th Grade Mathematics (Paulding County)	50	32.7	17.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	36.6	38	1.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Paulding County)	38.5	44	5.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	26	30.2	4.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Paulding County)	35.9	34.6	1.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	40.1	20.9	19.2%
8th Grade Science (Paulding County)	50.4	18.5	31.9%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	44.8	37.3	7.5%
8th Grade Social Studies (Paulding County)	53.5	41.1	12.4%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (J. A. Dobbins Middle School)	85.7	87.1	1.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Paulding County)	44.1	28.1	16%
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	643	532	17.3%
African American	225	206	8.4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	4	20%
Hispanic	102	123	20.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	276	164	40.6%
Two or More Races	35	34	2.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.7%	60.9%	3.2%

Schools Near J. A. Dobbins 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
J. A. Dobbins Middle School	Public	6-8	637 Williams Lake Rd	Powder Springs	30127	Cobb County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 443-4835	532	41	12.9	60.9%	164 (30.8%)	206 (38.7%)	123 (23.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (6.4%)	41.2	327^th of 588 public middle schools	44.4%		47.4	278^th of 577 public middle schools	51.8%	49	80.5	36.0	40.1	40.0	16.8	34.6	33.7	14.3	28.0	$10,437	$360	$10,077
Irma C. Austin Middle School	Public	6-8	3490 Ridge Rd	Douglasville	30134	Douglas County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 942-0316	792	50	15.8	51.4%	371 (46.8%)	270 (34.1%)	95 (12.0%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	48 (6.1%)	48.3	287^th of 588 public middle schools	51.2%		55.4	224^th of 577 public middle schools	61.2%	63	85.5	36.1	37.9	43.6	29.8	34.5	37.3	20.4	33.8	$8,971	$312	$8,659
Stewart Middle School	Public	6-8	8138 Malone St	Douglasville	30134	Douglas County	Douglas County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 651-5400	554	37	14.9	81.8%	18 (3.2%)	429 (77.4%)	76 (13.7%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.3%)	24.5	445^th of 588 public middle schools	24.3%		24.8	442^nd of 577 public middle schools	23.4%	3		27.7	27.2	32.0	12.0	12.0	27.3	16.9	17.2	$9,637	$970	$8,667
P. B. Ritch Middle School	Public	6-8	60 Old Country Trl	Dallas	30157	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 443-8000	755	49	15.3	59.9%	162 (21.5%)	433 (57.4%)	94 (12.5%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	55 (7.3%)	40.4	335^th of 588 public middle schools	43.0%		38.7	343^rd of 577 public middle schools	40.6%	8	77.1	33.0	37.4	42.6	30.4	30.8	29.1	10.2	27.3	$9,864	$376	$9,488
Tapp Middle School	Public	6-8	3900 Macedonia Rd	Powder Springs	30127	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 222-3758	873	59	14.8	65.9%	65 (7.4%)	513 (58.8%)	239 (27.4%)	7 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (5.6%)	59.7	211^th of 588 public middle schools	64.1%		62.4	191^st of 577 public middle schools	66.9%	20	90.0	44.5	38.0	48.6	40.1	44.4	35.6	31.3	35.6	$8,621	$550	$8,071
Garrett Middle School	Public	6-8	5235 Austell Powder Springs Rd	Austell	30106	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 819-2466	906	61	14.8	85.0%	61 (6.7%)	470 (51.9%)	343 (37.9%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	24 (2.6%)	34.1	377^th of 588 public middle schools	35.9%		32.8	388^th of 577 public middle schools	32.8%	11	95.8	35.9	22.6	31.9	21.8	27.0	29.4	27.0	20.2	$8,882	$826	$8,056
Turner Middle School	Public	6-8	7101 Turner Dr	Lithia Springs	30122	Douglas County	Douglas County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 651-5500	740	50	14.7	81.2%	77 (10.4%)	312 (42.2%)	314 (42.4%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	24 (3.2%)	23.2	452^nd of 588 public middle schools	23.1%		30	406^th of 577 public middle schools	29.6%	46	50.0	29.4	19.4	35.7	7.0	14.4	17.5	15.6	22.7	$9,407	$1,077	$8,330
South Paulding Middle School	Public	6-8	592 Nebo Rd	Dallas	30157	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 445-8500	481	36	13.3	47.4%	296 (61.5%)	104 (21.6%)	55 (11.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	45.8	302^nd of 588 public middle schools	48.6%		37.9	346^th of 577 public middle schools	40.0%	44	67.6	38.2	41.7	42.0	27.3	30.5	28.4	6.4	43.2	$11,194	$358	$10,836
Cooper Middle School	Public	6-8	4605 Ewing Rd	Austell	30106	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 819-2438	982	65	15.1	70.9%	56 (5.7%)	623 (63.4%)	243 (24.7%)	10 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.8%)	63.7	186^th of 588 public middle schools	68.4%		66	164^th of 577 public middle schools	71.6%	22	91.8	39.8	42.0	48.3	35.0	41.4	46.0	40.9	44.8	$8,481	$666	$7,816
East Paulding Middle School	Public	6-8	2945 Hiram Acworth Hwy	Dallas	30157	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 443-7000	858	58	14.7	39.2%	470 (54.8%)	207 (24.1%)	119 (13.9%)	14 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (5.4%)	70.2	151^st of 588 public middle schools	74.3%		63.9	180^th of 577 public middle schools	68.8%	29	88.9	53.1	45.7	51.3	43.0	52.1	45.3	25.7	45.4	$8,928	$81	$8,847

Frequently Asked Questions about J. A. Dobbins Middle School

What high school do graduates of J. A. Dobbins Middle School attend?

Students who attend J. A. Dobbins Middle School usually go on to attend Hiram High School

How many students attend J. A. Dobbins Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 532 students attended J. A. Dobbins Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of J. A. Dobbins Middle School?

Students at J. A. Dobbins Middle School are 39% African American, 31% White, 23% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What district is J. A. Dobbins Middle School in?

Paulding County

Is J. A. Dobbins Middle School a good school?

J. A. Dobbins Middle School ranks 327^th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate J. A. Dobbins 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.