Summary:
McIntosh County Middle School is the sole middle school in McIntosh County, serving grades 6-8 in Darien, GA, with 311 students and a student body where 100% qualify for free/reduced lunch.
This school shows a mix of bright spots and challenges. The most impressive result is in Algebra I, where 50% of students are proficient—beating both the district (36.2%) and state (44.9%) averages. Math scores in 6th and 7th grade improved dramatically from last year, jumping 14.6 and 20.1 percentage points respectively, though 7th grade still trails the state by about 8 points. However, 8th grade math is a major concern, with only 22.3% proficient compared to the state's 46.3%. Science and social studies scores are also below state averages, with social studies proficiency dropping to 27.5% while the state improved to 40.2%. English Language Arts scores improve as students advance—from 30.1% in 6th grade to 38.2% in 8th grade—nearly closing the gap with the state by 8th grade. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 15.5% is better than both the district (19.0%) and state (17.7%), which is notable given the high-poverty population.
With a student-teacher ratio of 13.4:1 and per-student spending of $15,469, the school invests heavily in its students. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated, sitting at the 46th percentile this year after dropping from the 51st percentile two years ago. The strong Algebra I performance suggests that advanced students thrive, and the early-grade math improvements indicate recent interventions may be working. The main challenge is clearly 8th grade math, where proficiency is less than half the state average. For parents, this school offers strong attendance, small class sizes, and excellent advanced math opportunities, but families should be aware of the significant gaps in 8th grade math, science, and social studies.
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