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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.

Appling Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

528^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 578 Georgia Middle Schools

Better than 9% of Georgia middle schools

Summary

Appling Middle School in Macon, GA, serves 677 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Bibb County School District, where 73.6% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school has historically ranked in the bottom 10% of Georgia middle schools, the most recent data reveals a dramatic turnaround in attendance and several promising academic gains worth noting.

The standout achievement at Appling is its remarkable reduction in chronic absenteeism. In 2021-2022, 43.6% of students were chronically absent—far above district and state averages. By 2025-2026, that rate plummeted to 14.9%, now below both the district average (27.5%) and the state average (17.7%). This is the lowest rate among comparable Bibb County middle schools, including Rutland Middle School (28.1%), Howard Middle School (33.7%), and Weaver Middle School (36.0%). Academically, Appling shows notable strength in Algebra I, with 37% of students scoring proficient or above—well above the district average of 22% and a dramatic jump from just 7.7% two years earlier. The school also posted significant year-over-year gains in 6th grade math (8.2% to 16.1%) and 7th grade math (4.2% to 13.5%), though these remain below state averages.

Despite these improvements, Appling still faces substantial challenges. Math proficiency rates (12.3% to 16.1%) and 8th grade science (7.4%) remain far below state averages, and the school's overall state ranking (528th out of 578) reflects persistent gaps. The contrast with nearby Clifton Ridge Middle School, just 2.5 miles away in Jones County, is striking—Clifton Ridge posts 37.9% proficiency in 8th grade math versus Appling's 12.3%. Even within the same district, Miller Magnet Middle School achieves 51.7% proficiency in 8th grade math. Notably, Appling spends $14,360 per student—higher than several nearby schools—and maintains a favorable 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio, suggesting that targeted instructional strategies, not just funding, will be key to closing these gaps. The positive trajectory in attendance and math is encouraging, and families should watch whether these gains continue.

677

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,360

Per pupil spending ?

73.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1646b Upper River Rd
Macon, GA 31211

(478) 779-2200

District: Bibb County

Students who attend Appling Middle School usually attend:

High:

Northeast High School

Feeder schools for Appling Middle School:

Elementary:	Bernd Elementary School
	Burdell Elementary School
	Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.8%

Hispanic:

3.7%

White:

3.2%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Appling Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (14% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Mathematics scores 29 pts below the Georgia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg18%

Georgia avg43%

528^th of 578

Georgia public middle schools ?

Bottom 9%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Middle Schools in the Bibb County

164^th of 201Bibb 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	12.4	528 of 578	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.0	560 of 585	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.4	558 of 578	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	546 of 569	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	506 of 558	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	501 of 542	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.8	539 of 559	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.3	521 of 543	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.4	516 of 539	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	8.1	512 of 545	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.8	497 of 537	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	11.3	487 of 521	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	10.9	492 of 527	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	14.7	462 of 508	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.7	479 of 504	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.1	473 of 494	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.5	447 of 466	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	13.7	430 of 462	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	4.4	429 of 445	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	6.1	406 of 420	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	20.3	403 of 480	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	469 of 494	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	468 of 489	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	455 of 485	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	390 of 482	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	12.3	504 of 550	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.9	555 of 567	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.1	548 of 558	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.4	539 of 553	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.3	503 of 544	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	11.0	511 of 550	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.3	538 of 569	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	541 of 561	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.1	523 of 559	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	493 of 553	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	385 of 425	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	19.3	409 of 442	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.0	401 of 437	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.3	405 of 429	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	400 of 431	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)16th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2026)9th percentile~ school

Female (2026)8th percentile~ school

Male (2026)7th percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

HS Physical Science44%-17 vs state

Algebra I37%-11 vs state

Social Studies14%-26 vs state

Mathematics14%-29 vs state

Science7%-22 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a principal
Saturday, April 29, 2017

Teachers, parents, students, and community leaders are working together to help improve Appling Middle. Close Quote

Schools Near Appling 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	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
Appling Middle School	Public	6-8	1646b Upper River Rd	Macon	31211	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-2200	677	49	13.7	73.6%	22 (3.2%)	615 (90.8%)	25 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.9%)	12.4	528^th of 578 public middle schools	8.7%		9	560^th of 585 public middle schools	4.3%	32	37.0	16.1	13.5	12.3	7.4	14.1	44.4	$14,360	$1,836	$12,525
Clifton Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	169 Dusty Ln	Macon	31211	Jones County	Jones County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 743-5182	482	40	12.0	45.2%	272 (56.4%)	169 (35.1%)	17 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.6%)	52.6	251^st of 578 public middle schools	56.6%		43.4	310^th of 585 public middle schools	47.0%	59	88.9	29.3	28.1	37.9	38.6	53.8	88.9	$14,641	$1,156	$13,485
Miller Magnet Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	751 Hendley St	Macon	31204	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(478) 779-4029	614	48	12.7	59.6%	47 (7.7%)	517 (84.2%)	21 (3.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (3.9%)	49.2	265^th of 578 public middle schools	54.2%		46.5	288^th of 585 public middle schools	50.8%	23	88.0	38.6	30.7	51.7	22.7	35.4	66.0	$15,588	$1,824	$13,764
Ballard Hudson Middle School	Public	6-8	1070 Anthony Rd	Macon	31204	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3390	671	44	15.2	76.6%	15 (2.2%)	609 (90.8%)	31 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.2%)	9.8	547^th of 578 public middle schools	5.4%		10.6	551^st of 585 public middle schools	5.8%	4	65.0	8.7	7.8	15.4	10.3	7.7		$14,274	$2,322	$11,952
Weaver Middle School	Public	6-8	2570 Heath Rd	Macon	31206	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-4630	894	64	14.0	68.3%	29 (3.2%)	723 (80.9%)	104 (11.6%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.5%)	11	539^th of 578 public middle schools	6.7%		13.5	535^th of 585 public middle schools	8.5%	4		13.2	18.7	8.1	9.6	6.0		$14,035	$2,027	$12,008
Howard Middle School	Public	6-8	6600 Forsyth Rd	Macon	31210	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3454	973	66	14.7	60.6%	114 (11.7%)	695 (71.4%)	60 (6.2%)	48 (4.9%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (5.3%)	13.6	516^th of 578 public middle schools	10.7%		20	467^th of 585 public middle schools	20.2%	49	80.0	13.5	19.4	23.3	6.3	5.3	46.6	$13,719	$1,525	$12,194
Gray Station Middle School	Public	6-8	324 Ga Highway 18 E	Gray	31032	Jones County	Jones County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 986-2090	609	46	13.1	36.8%	447 (73.4%)	112 (18.4%)	21 (3.4%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.8%)	78.4	107^th of 578 public middle schools	81.5%		76.9	119^th of 585 public middle schools	79.7%	12	100.0	43.0	42.8	65.3	50.6	63.6	91.3	$13,109	$713	$12,396
Rutland Middle School	Public	6-8	6260 Skipper Rd	Macon	31216	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-4369	849	55	15.3	60.3%	158 (18.6%)	499 (58.8%)	143 (16.8%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.6%)	22.4	449^th of 578 public middle schools	22.3%		22	456^th of 585 public middle schools	22.1%	7	39.0	24.2	26.0	20.3	16.5	17.2	41.4	$13,675	$1,603	$12,072
Northside Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Johnson Rd	Warner Robins	31093	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 929-7845	859	64	13.5	100.0%	130 (15.1%)	517 (60.2%)	166 (19.3%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.4%)	39.4	328^th of 578 public middle schools	43.3%		38.4	350^th of 585 public middle schools	40.2%	22	87.9	21.7	28.0	34.9	28.2	34.9	97.0	$14,011	$981	$13,031
Thomson Middle School	Public	6-8	301 Thomson Street	Centerville	31028	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 953-0489	734	54	13.6	91.1%	201 (27.4%)	351 (47.8%)	107 (14.6%)	27 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (6.3%)	58	217^th of 578 public middle schools	62.5%		58.3	216^th of 585 public middle schools	63.1%	1	100.0	40.9	38.3	47.7	34.4	40.5	70.8	$15,710	$796	$14,915

Frequently Asked Questions about Appling Middle School

What district is Appling Middle School in?

Bibb County

What high school do graduates of Appling Middle School attend?

Students who attend Appling Middle School usually go on to attend Northeast High School

What is the racial makeup of Appling Middle School?

Students at Appling Middle School are 91% African American, 4% Hispanic, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Appling Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 677 students attended Appling Middle School.

Is Appling Middle School a good school?

Appling Middle School ranks in the bottom 8.7% of Georgia middle schools.

Rate Appling Middle School!

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresNewAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)NewAug 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.