Middle Schools in Atlanta Public Schools

The 15 middle schools in Atlanta Public Schools serve grades 6-8 across a district that ranks in the lower half of Georgia districts, with enrollment ranging from 241 students at Judson Price Middle School to 1,619 at Willis A. Sutton Middle School.

For parents seeking strong academics, David T Howard Middle School is the clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 91st percentile statewide. It posts exceptional math scores—including 98.9% proficiency in Algebra I and 100% in the prior year—and nearly doubles the district average in social studies. Willis A. Sutton Middle School and Atlanta Neighborhood Charter - Middle follow as strong 4-star options, with Sutton serving the largest enrollment while maintaining 95.8% Algebra I proficiency and Atlanta Neighborhood Charter posting the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at 9.8%. On the other end, Jean Childs Young Middle School and Judson Price Middle School both hold 0-star ratings with math proficiency in the single digits and chronic absenteeism above 40%.

Chronic absenteeism is the district's most pressing issue, averaging 27.6% versus the state's 17.7%, and it tracks closely with performance—the lowest-absenteeism schools are the top-ranked, while John Lewis Invictus Academy struggles with a 54% rate. Encouragingly, 10 of 15 schools improved their state percentile ranking over two years. Kipp Strive Charter School jumped from the 36th to 53rd percentile, and Sylvan Hills Middle School rose from the 12th to 28th percentile, showing progress is possible even in high-poverty settings. Notably, per-student spending runs inversely to performance—the highest-spending schools rank lowest—while advanced courses like Algebra I show high proficiency (90%+ at several schools) because they enroll only select students. Parents should weigh attendance patterns, subject-specific strengths, and improvement trends when choosing a school.