Summary:
Stewart County Middle School is the only middle school in Stewart County, serving grades 6–8 in Lumpkin, GA, with a very small enrollment of 82 students and a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, reflecting a high-poverty rural area.
This school faces serious academic challenges. In 2025–2026, 8th-grade science and social studies proficiency were both 0%, compared to state averages of 29.7% and 40.2%, respectively. Math proficiency was also far below state levels: 11.1% (6th), 25.9% (7th), and 16.7% (8th) versus state averages of 40.7%, 42.0%, and 46.3%. The most recent ELA scores (2024–2025) showed relative strength, with 8th-grade at 31.4% (state: 39.8%), but 6th and 7th grades lagged at 12.5% and 19.0%. The school’s state ranking has declined sharply, from the 33rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 9th percentile in 2025–2026, now earning zero stars. Chronic absenteeism is 10.8%, which is below the state average of 17.7% but more than double the district’s 4.9%.
One bright spot is 7th-grade math, which improved slightly from 23.8% to 25.9% year-over-year. However, 6th-grade math dropped dramatically from 29.2% to 11.1%, likely due to the very small cohort size (about 27 students per grade), making year-to-year swings unreliable. Per-student spending is high at $21,954, yet outcomes remain low, raising questions about resource effectiveness. For parents, this school offers small class sizes and below-average chronic absenteeism, but proficiency gaps of 25–40 points in core subjects—especially science and social studies—are critical concerns. Targeted interventions in math and content-area instruction will be essential to reverse the downward trend.
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