Middle Schools in Peach County

Peach County is home to two middle schools serving grades 6-8: Byron Middle School (452 students) and Fort Valley Middle School (434 students). The district ranks 142nd out of 201 in Georgia, and both schools face significant challenges with chronic absenteeism—around 24% of students at each school miss substantial school time, well above the state average of 17.7%.

Byron Middle School is the clear standout, ranking in the 54th percentile statewide (264th of 578 schools) with a 3-star rating. It has improved its ranking over three years and outperforms Fort Valley Middle School in nearly every subject. For example, Byron’s 8th-grade social studies proficiency is 48% versus Fort Valley’s 17.4%, and Byron’s 6th-grade math proficiency is 33.4% versus 18.6%. Byron also serves a high-poverty population (84.7% free/reduced lunch) yet achieves near-state-average results in several areas, suggesting poverty alone doesn’t explain the gap. Fort Valley Middle School ranks in the bottom quarter (22nd percentile, 1-star) and serves a 100% economically disadvantaged student body. Its proficiency rates lag far behind state averages in most subjects, though it actually beats Byron in 8th-grade science (15% vs. 12.9%) and high school physical science (63.2% vs. 51.9%).

One striking finding is the exceptional Algebra I performance at both schools. Fort Valley Middle School posts a 94.7% proficiency rate—nearly double the state average (48.1%)—while Byron Middle School achieves 75.9%. This suggests advanced math instruction is a strength, even at the lower-performing school. However, 8th-grade science proficiency is critically low district-wide (about 13-15% versus the 29.7% state average), pointing to a systemic challenge. Per-student spending is slightly higher at Byron ($14,326 vs. $13,015), and student-teacher ratios are similar (12.6:1 vs. 13.0:1). English Language Arts scores are not yet available for this release; they will be released in December and will provide a fuller picture of achievement in this district.