Summary:
Early County Middle School is the sole middle school in Early County, serving grades 7–8 in Blakely, Georgia, with 218 students and a 100% free/reduced lunch population.
This school faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates far below state averages in every tested subject. In the current 2025–2026 release, only 8.2% of 7th graders and 16.2% of 8th graders are proficient in math, compared to state averages of 42.0% and 46.3%, respectively. Science proficiency sits at 9.6% (state: 29.7%), and social studies at 8.6% (state: 40.2%). These gaps range from 20 to 34 percentage points. Year-over-year, most subjects declined—8th grade math fell from 26.9% to 16.2%, and 8th grade science dropped from 13.0% to 9.6%. The only improvement was 8th grade social studies, rising from 5.6% to 8.6%, though it remains far behind the state. English Language Arts (ELA) scores from 2024–2025 were relatively stronger, with 19.1% (7th) and 18.5% (8th) proficient, but current ELA results will not be released until December.
The school’s state ranking has slipped from the 14th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 6th percentile in 2025–2026, reflecting a declining trajectory. Chronic absenteeism is 21.9%, above the state’s 17.7%. Despite high per-student spending of $20,686 and a favorable 7.6:1 student-teacher ratio, outcomes remain persistently low. Since this is the district’s only middle school, its scores mirror the district’s exactly, offering no internal comparison. For parents, the key takeaway is that Early County Middle School serves an entirely economically disadvantaged student body and is struggling academically across all subjects, with ELA historically being its least weak area. The December ELA release will provide a more complete picture of current performance.
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