Middle Schools in Terrell County

Terrell Middle School is the only middle school in Terrell County, serving grades 6 through 8 in Dawson, GA, with 215 students.

Terrell Middle School is facing serious academic challenges. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates were in the single digits across nearly every subject: math proficiency ranged from 7.6% in 6th grade to 8.8% in 8th grade, while 8th-grade science (4.4%) and social studies (4.5%) were even lower. These numbers are dramatically below state averages—for example, state math proficiency is around 40-46%, meaning the gap is roughly 33 to 38 percentage points. The school’s state ranking has also fallen sharply, dropping from 510th (out of 584) last year to 563rd (out of 578) this year, placing it in the bottom 3% of Georgia middle schools. Year-over-year math trends are mixed: 6th grade declined from 11.1% to 7.6%, 7th grade improved slightly from 7.2% to 8.4%, and 8th grade fell significantly from 18.4% to 8.8%.

Despite high investment—$22,045 per student and a favorable 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio—outcomes remain low. The school serves a 100% economically disadvantaged population, with all students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism is 21.8%, higher than the state average of 17.7%. Last year’s English Language Arts scores (released prior to this cycle) were stronger than math, with 6th grade at 30.2%, 7th grade at 13.0%, and 8th grade at 27.6% proficient, though still below state averages. Current-year ELA results will be released in December, which will provide a fuller picture. For parents, this school offers small class sizes and significant per-student funding, but academic performance is critically low and declining in key areas, making it important to monitor progress closely.