Summary:
Middle schools in Powder Springs, Georgia, serve grades 6-8 across three schools—Lovinggood Middle School, Tapp Middle School, and J. A. Dobbins Middle School—spanning two districts (Cobb County and Paulding County) with a combined enrollment of 2,549 students.
Lovinggood Middle School is the clear standout, ranking 54th in the state (91st percentile) with 5 stars. It leads all three schools in every subject: 6th-grade math proficiency is 52.7% versus 36.8% at Tapp and 25.7% at Dobbins; 8th-grade science is 61.4% versus 20.3% at Tapp and 29.6% at Dobbins. Lovinggood also has the lowest chronic absenteeism (9.5%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (32.3%), compared to Tapp (13.0% absenteeism, 87.4% free/reduced) and Dobbins (19.1% absenteeism, 71.4% free/reduced). Interestingly, Lovinggood spends the least per student ($13,392) yet achieves the best results, while Dobbins spends the most ($16,471) with the lowest overall performance—though Dobbins has shown the biggest improvement, jumping 44 spots in state ranking over three years.
All three schools excel in Algebra I End of Course exams, with Lovinggood and Dobbins at 100% proficiency and Tapp at 95.5%, far exceeding the state average of 48.1%. However, Tapp struggles notably in 8th-grade science (20.3%, below the state average of 29.7%). Dobbins, despite lower grade-level math scores, matches the state average in science and outperforms Tapp in 8th-grade math (46.7% vs. 36.6%). For parents, Lovinggood offers the strongest overall academics and healthiest operational metrics, while Dobbins shows promising momentum and Tapp provides solid mid-tier performance with room for growth in science. Note that ELA scores for 2025-2026 are not yet available; they release in December.
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