Middle Schools in Savannah-Chatham County

The nine middle schools in Savannah-Chatham County serve grades 6-8 and enroll roughly 4,900 students, but they are sharply divided between two high-performing schools and seven that struggle in the bottom 15% of Georgia schools.

For parents, the standout options are Coastal Middle School and The STEM Academy at Bartlett. Coastal ranks in the 80th percentile statewide with 4 stars, posting math proficiency rates roughly double the district average and an impressive 98.2% Algebra I proficiency. STEM Academy ranks in the 76th percentile with 4 stars, showing consistent math scores across grades (56-61%) and the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at 6.2%. Both schools have poverty rates near 50%, far lower than the rest of the district. At the other end, Myers Middle School ranks in the 3rd percentile with 0 stars, and Southwest Middle School ranks in the 7th percentile with 0 stars and the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 28.2%. West Chatham Middle School, Oglethorpe Charter School, DeRenne Middle School, Mercer Middle School, and Hubert Middle School all cluster in the bottom 15th percentile, with proficiency rates in the single digits for many subjects.

Chronic absenteeism is the clearest predictor of success: the top three schools all have rates below 11%, while the bottom five all exceed 21%. Spending does not explain results — Coastal spends the most per student ($19,922) and performs best, but Southwest spends nearly as much ($18,956) and ranks near the bottom. Notably, Oglethorpe Charter achieves a mid-tier ranking despite an 87.8% poverty rate, showing that school-level factors can overcome socioeconomic challenges. Science and Social Studies proficiency lag behind Math across all schools, even the top performers. For families, the choice is stark: Coastal and STEM Academy offer results competitive with the best in Georgia, while the remaining schools face significant hurdles that the district has yet to address.