Summary:
Twiggs Middle School is the only middle school in Twiggs County, serving grades 6 through 8 with 140 students in a rural, economically challenged area where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Twiggs Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Georgia middle schools, but its most recent ranking dropped sharply from the 24th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 6th percentile in 2025-2026. The school spends a substantial $18,934 per student and maintains a favorable 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio, yet academic outcomes remain very low. In the current year, only 2% of 6th graders, 11.1% of 7th graders, and 12.5% of 8th graders are proficient in mathematics—all far below state averages of roughly 40-46%. Science proficiency (16.7%) and social studies proficiency (4.2%) for 8th graders also trail the state significantly. Chronic absenteeism affects 25.6% of students, nearly 8 percentage points above the state average, which likely compounds learning challenges.
There is one notable bright spot: in 2024-2025, 7th grade ELA proficiency reached 47.8%, actually exceeding the state average of 40.7%. This shows the school can achieve competitive results, making the severe declines in other areas more striking. Comparing year-over-year data, 6th grade math plummeted from 17.1% to 2% proficiency, and 7th grade math fell from 23.9% to 11.1%. However, 8th grade math improved from 8.9% to 12.5%, and 8th grade science jumped from 6.7% to 16.7%. The combination of high spending, low student-teacher ratios, and persistent low achievement suggests that addressing attendance and instructional strategies—particularly in math and social studies—may be more impactful than additional funding. The sharp 6th grade math decline should be treated as an urgent priority for the school and district.
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