Summary:
Dawson County Middle School is the sole middle school in Dawson County, serving 641 students in grades 6 and 7 in the Dawsonville area, within a district ranked 54th out of 201 in Georgia with a 4-star rating.
This school shows a mix of strengths and challenges. In 2024–2025, English Language Arts proficiency was a relative bright spot, with 42.0% of 6th graders and 42.5% of 7th graders meeting standards—both slightly above state averages. Math performance was more mixed: 6th grade improved from 36.6% to 39.6% proficiency between 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, nearly reaching the state average of 40.7%, while 7th grade dipped from 40.5% to 39.3%, falling below the state's 42.0%. The school's state ranking has been volatile, dropping from 121st (79th percentile, 4 stars) in 2022–2023 to 247th (58th percentile, 3 stars) in 2023–2024, then recovering slightly to 221st (62nd percentile, 3 stars) in 2024–2025. This ranking shift is notable given that test scores remain close to state averages, suggesting other factors may influence the ranking.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism. At 24.2%, the school's rate is significantly higher than both the district (19.4%) and state (17.7%) averages, meaning roughly 1 in 4 students is chronically absent—a likely contributor to the ranking decline from its 2022–2023 peak. Over half of students (52.57%) qualify for free/reduced lunch, and the school spends $12,218 per student with a 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio. While 6th-grade math improvement and above-average ELA scores are encouraging, addressing attendance will be critical for the school to regain its former standing. ELA scores for 2025–2026 are not yet available and will be released in December; their absence should not be interpreted as a decline.
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