Summary:
Stapleton, Georgia is served by a single middle school, Jefferson County Middle School, which enrolls 440 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Jefferson County school district.
Jefferson County Middle School has shown steady improvement in its state ranking over the past three years, moving from the 12th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 20th percentile in 2025-2026, though it remains in the bottom quintile of Georgia middle schools. The most recent test data reveals significant gains in mathematics across all grade levels, with 7th grade math jumping from 12.7% to 19.5% proficiency and 6th grade math rising from 22.0% to 26.8%. Social studies proficiency nearly doubled from 9% to 17.7%, marking the largest single-subject improvement. However, 8th grade science scores declined from 15.1% to 10.6%, and the school still trails state averages by 14 to 24 percentage points across all subjects, with the largest gaps in 8th grade math (-24.3 points) and 7th grade math (-22.5 points). English Language Arts scores for 2025-2026 have not yet been released and will be available in December.
The school serves a high-poverty population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism stands at 21.1%, which is 3.4 percentage points above the state average of 17.7% but slightly better than the district's 21.9%. On a positive note, the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.2:1 and spends $13,995 per student annually, both of which represent structural advantages that could support further academic gains. While the persistent achievement gap remains a concern, the upward trajectory in mathematics and social studies suggests that targeted interventions may be yielding results. The upcoming ELA score release will provide a more complete picture of the school's current academic standing, and families should watch for continued progress in science, which remains the weakest subject area.
Thank you for your feedback!