Summary:
Long Cane Middle School, Gardner-Newman Middle School, and Callaway Middle School are the three middle schools serving grades 6-8 in Troup County, a district ranked in the middle of Georgia school systems, with enrollments ranging from 656 to 988 students and high rates of economic disadvantage across all campuses.
Long Cane is the clear standout, earning a 3-star rating and ranking 222nd in the state—well ahead of its peers. Its Algebra I proficiency rate of 98.4% is more than double the state average, and its 8th grade math score (56.5%) also tops the state by 10 points. Gardner-Newman sits in the middle with a 2-star rating, showing solid Algebra I performance (84.8%) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (13.5%), though it slipped in 8th grade math and science. Callaway trails significantly, ranking 404th with a 2-star rating, and its scores fell sharply across most subjects—Algebra I dropped 23.6 points to 37.8%, and 8th grade math fell to 18.8%. Notably, Callaway spends the most per student ($14,118) and has the smallest class sizes, yet produces the lowest results, while Long Cane achieves more with less spending.
All three schools struggle with 8th grade Social Studies, scoring well below the state average of 40.2%. Widespread declines from the prior year affected nearly every subject and school, though Gardner-Newman did show gains in 6th and 7th grade math. Chronic absenteeism is highest at Callaway (18.3%) and lowest at Gardner-Newman, suggesting attendance plays a role but doesn't fully explain performance gaps. For parents, Long Cane offers the strongest academics, particularly in math, while Gardner-Newman provides a balanced option with improving lower-grade scores. Callaway faces the steepest challenges, and its declining trend warrants attention from district leadership.
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