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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

Red Top Middle School

Q: Is Red Top Middle School a good school?

Red Top Middle School ranks 338 th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

338^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 578 Georgia Middle Schools

Better than 42% of Georgia middle schools

Summary

Red Top Middle School in Emerson, GA, serves 569 students in grades 6–8 as part of Bartow County Schools, a district ranked in the 64th percentile statewide. The school has shown meaningful improvement in recent years, climbing from the bottom third of Georgia middle schools to the 42nd percentile in the 2025–2026 school year, though it still sits below the state median.

The most striking bright spot is Algebra I performance: 91.3% of tested students scored proficient or above in 2025–2026—nearly double the district rate (53.9%) and far exceeding the state average (48.1%). This represents a 46-point improvement over three years, placing Red Top among the strongest Algebra I performers in the region, comparable to nearby Lost Mountain Middle School and McClure Middle School. However, this success contrasts sharply with 8th grade math (34.6% proficient, vs. 57.9% district) and 8th grade science (12.6% proficient, vs. 25% district)—the school's weakest subjects. This "two schools" pattern suggests the accelerated math track is thriving while grade-level pathways struggle. Chronic absenteeism has also improved dramatically, dropping from 36.7% in 2021–2022 to 14.8% in 2025–2026—now the best rate among Bartow County middle schools, below both the district (15.8%) and state (17.7%).

Red Top spends more per student ($17,824) than any comparable school in the region—about $4,000 more than peers like Woodland Middle School at Euharlee ($14,101) and Cass Middle School ($13,061)—and maintains a favorable 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio. The school serves a predominantly low-income population (83.5% free/reduced lunch), which provides important context for interpreting scores. While overall academic performance still trails most nearby schools, the combination of rising state rankings, plummeting absenteeism, exceptional Algebra I results, and high per-student investment suggests a school at an inflection point, with a foundation in place to scale its successes to other subjects.

569

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,824

Per pupil spending ?

83.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

224 Old Alabama Rd SE
Emerson, GA 30137

(770) 606-5865

District: Bartow County

Students who attend Red Top Middle School usually attend:

High:

Woodland High School

Feeder schools for Red Top Middle School:

Elementary:	Allatoona Elementary School
	Cloverleaf Elementary
	Emerson Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.2%

Hispanic:

35.0%

African American:

11.6%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Red Top Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 41st percentile in 2016 → 42nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (33% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 17 pts below the Georgia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg44%

Georgia avg43%

338^th of 578

Georgia public middle schools ?

Bottom 42%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Bartow County

73^rd of 202Bartow County among Georgia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	338 of 578	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.0	368 of 585	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.9	337 of 578	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.3	409 of 569	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.9	403 of 558	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.0	355 of 542	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.4	427 of 559	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.2	330 of 543	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.6	341 of 539	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.4	321 of 545	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.0	312 of 537	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	49.5	320 of 521	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	54.1	280 of 527	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.9	307 of 508	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	48.7	303 of 504	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.1	312 of 494	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.3	271 of 466	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.2	275 of 462	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	45.2	292 of 445	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	31.9	342 of 420	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	276 of 480	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.1	312 of 494	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.7	279 of 489	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.0	310 of 485	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.9	372 of 482	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	31.7	116 of 166	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.7	136 of 199	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	180 of 200	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.2	140 of 166	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	148 of 157	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	331 of 550	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.8	324 of 567	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.7	322 of 558	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.2	415 of 553	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.3	416 of 544	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	37.8	222 of 374	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.6	245 of 400	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.4	202 of 381	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.4	309 of 380	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	309 of 367	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	37.4	330 of 550	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.8	379 of 569	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	335 of 561	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.2	397 of 559	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.6	390 of 553	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	270 of 425	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.0	238 of 442	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	267 of 437	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	209 of 429	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.0	291 of 431	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	16.9	355 of 404	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.8	361 of 415	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.0	365 of 417	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.7	396 of 429	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.4	390 of 425	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)41st percentile~ school

Male (2026)40th percentile~ school

Female (2026)40th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)36th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)30th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)12th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I91%+43 vs state

HS Physical Science56%-5 vs state

Mathematics38%-5 vs state

Social Studies24%-16 vs state

Science13%-17 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 6, 2016

worst school ever my kid hates this school comes home crying being bullied and teachers and admin. turn a blind eye covering for the bully and not the bullied child they have gone as far as saying my child is a liar the situation still isnt resolved and now looking for a new school for next yr this school is the lowest ranked in the state and its an embarrassment to know ive allowed my child to attend although she is a A-B student i have to take credit for helping with studies and paying outside tutors for any extra help as the school was unable to provide nor cared enough to go the extra mile to see that she succeeded Close Quote

Schools Near Red Top Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Red Top Middle School	Public	6-8	224 Old Alabama Rd SE	Emerson	30137	Bartow County	Bartow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 606-5865	569	43	13.1	83.5%	274 (48.2%)	66 (11.6%)	199 (35.0%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)	38.3	338^th of 578 public middle schools	41.5%		36	368^th of 585 public middle schools	37.1%	30	91.3	41.3	38.1	34.6	12.6	24.3	55.5	$17,824	$1,184	$16,640
Cartersville Middle School	Public	6-8	825 Douthit Ferry Rd	Cartersville	30120	Bartow County	Cartersville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 382-3666	1,081	64	16.8	54.8%	531 (49.1%)	235 (21.7%)	254 (23.5%)	12 (1.1%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.1%)	64.4	177^th of 578 public middle schools	69.4%		63.9	182^nd of 585 public middle schools	68.9%	5	93.1	49.2	48.2	53.1	17.0	48.0	72.2	$12,820	$582	$12,238
Sammy McClure Senior Middle School	Public	6-8	315 Bob Grogan Dr	Dallas	30132	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 505-3700	834	50	16.6	24.8%	599 (71.8%)	104 (12.5%)	79 (9.5%)	19 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.0%)	92.2	31^st of 578 public middle schools	94.6%		85.8	73^rd of 585 public middle schools	87.5%	42	98.8	61.3	67.2	65.9	56.2	78.8		$12,864	$424	$12,440
Crossroads Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Timberwolf Drive	Acworth	30101	Cobb County	Paulding County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(678) 460-1580	908	52	17.4	31.2%	473 (52.1%)	256 (28.2%)	94 (10.4%)	38 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.2%)	90.3	41^st of 578 public middle schools	92.9%					(n/a)	100.0	66.5	63.6	66.5	57.5	58.2		$11,614	$284	$11,330
Durham Middle School	Public	6-8	2891 Mars Hill Rd NW	Acworth	30101	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 975-6641	984	61	16.0	21.6%	599 (60.9%)	168 (17.1%)	120 (12.2%)	48 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (4.8%)	90.6	38^th of 578 public middle schools	93.4%		84.8	78^th of 585 public middle schools	86.7%	40	97.6	67.9	69.8	68.8	40.9	73.5	89.0	$13,891	$370	$13,521
Barber Middle School	Public	6-8	4222 Cantrell Rd NW	Acworth	30101	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 975-6764	790	55	14.4	57.8%	207 (26.2%)	298 (37.7%)	201 (25.4%)	25 (3.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (7.2%)	48.8	267^th of 578 public middle schools	53.8%		48.7	275^th of 585 public middle schools	53.0%	8	87.1	35.0	35.1	42.5	32.4	31.1	75.4	$16,189	$744	$15,445
Awtrey Middle School	Public	6-8	3601 Nowlin Rd NW	Kennesaw	30144	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 975-6615	593	46	12.8	48.1%	168 (28.3%)	218 (36.8%)	129 (21.8%)	23 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	51 (8.6%)	57.5	220^th of 578 public middle schools	61.9%		58.6	214^th of 585 public middle schools	63.4%	6	96.3	54.6	39.8	38.0	15.0	49.0	81.7	$17,900	$326	$17,574
Woodland Middle School at Euharlee	Public	6-8	1061 Euharlee Rd	Euharlee	30145	Bartow County	Bartow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 606-5871	696	46	15.2	59.6%	512 (73.6%)	54 (7.8%)	92 (13.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.9%)	66	172^nd of 578 public middle schools	70.2%		68.3	154^th of 585 public middle schools	73.7%	18	100.0	38.3	46.4	64.4	30.3	45.3	85.2	$14,101	$742	$13,359
Cass Middle School	Public	6-8	195 Fire Tower Rd NW	Cartersville	30120	Bartow County	Bartow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 606-5846	917	57	15.9	68.4%	478 (52.1%)	152 (16.6%)	201 (21.9%)	15 (1.6%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	65 (7.1%)	59.8	210^th of 578 public middle schools	63.7%		57.5	222^nd of 585 public middle schools	62.1%	12	100.0	37.7	44.9	64.4	25.5	35.8	83.0	$13,061	$910	$12,150
McClure Middle School	Public	6-8	3660 Old Stilesboro Rd NW	Kennesaw	30152	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 331-8131	1,030	68	15.2	30.7%	561 (54.5%)	185 (18.0%)	163 (15.8%)	57 (5.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.0%)	92.8	22^nd of 578 public middle schools	96.2%		90.9	55^th of 585 public middle schools	90.6%	33	100.0	63.7	64.6	75.6	53.7	71.3	100.0	$14,773	$389	$14,384

Frequently Asked Questions about Red Top Middle School

What district is Red Top Middle School in?

Bartow County

What is the racial makeup of Red Top Middle School?

Students at Red Top Middle School are 48% White, 35% Hispanic, 12% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Red Top Middle School a good school?

Red Top Middle School ranks 338^th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Red Top Middle School attend?

Students who attend Red Top Middle School usually go on to attend Woodland High School

How many students attend Red Top Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 569 students attended Red Top Middle School.

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)Aug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.