Middle Schools in Dougherty County

Dougherty County is home to four middle schools serving grades 6-8 in Albany, Georgia, a district that ranks in the bottom third of the state with a 2-star rating, where nearly all students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

If you're looking at middle schools in this area, Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet is in a league of its own. It ranks 4th out of 578 Georgia middle schools (99th percentile, 5 stars) and has been climbing steadily over the past three years. Its proficiency rates are 2-3 times higher than state averages in most subjects, with 100% proficiency in Algebra I and an 8th grade math proficiency rate of 77.8%—compared to just 7.5% at Radium Springs Middle School, which ranks 555th (4th percentile, 0 stars). The other two schools fall in between: Merry Acres Middle School ranks in the 17th-20th percentile, while Albany Middle School has shown improvement, moving from the 18th to 28th percentile over two years.

Chronic absenteeism is a major differentiator. Cross Middle Magnet has just a 5.4% chronic absenteeism rate, while Radium Springs has 37.4%—more than double the state average. Merry Acres (22.1%) and Albany (31.8%) fall in between, and the pattern is clear: lower absenteeism tracks with higher test scores. Per-student spending doesn't explain the gap—Radium Springs spends the most ($16,504) yet has the lowest scores, while Albany spends the least ($14,652) and outperforms it. Cross Middle Magnet's success with a 96% free/reduced lunch population shows that high-poverty schools can excel with the right programs and strong attendance. For parents, the takeaway is that Dougherty County offers one exceptional option in Cross Middle Magnet, but the other three schools face significant challenges that appear closely tied to attendance and school culture rather than funding levels.