Crisp County Middle School

Crisp County Middle School in Cordele, GA, serves 714 students in grades 6–8 and is part of the Crisp County district, which ranks near the bottom of Georgia districts. The school itself ranks in the bottom quintile of Georgia middle schools (462nd out of 578), though it has shown slight improvement from the prior year. Nearly all students (100%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school spends about $15,914 per student—higher than the state average but less than some neighboring districts. The student-teacher ratio of 12.8:1 is favorable and comparable to nearby schools.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In math, Crisp County outperforms Turner County Middle School and Dooly County Middle School at every grade level, but trails Wilcox County Middle School dramatically—for example, only 16.2% of 8th graders are proficient in math versus 72.5% at Wilcox, despite similar demographics. Science proficiency (18.1%) matches Turner but is less than half of Wilcox’s rate. Social studies is the school’s biggest weakness, with just 13.0% of 8th graders proficient compared to the state average of 40.2%. Encouragingly, 6th grade math proficiency has more than doubled since 2022–2023 (from 9.2% to 23.1%), though 8th grade math has declined. Chronic absenteeism has improved significantly, dropping from 39.2% in 2023–2024 to 29.4% in 2025–2026, though it remains well above the state average of 17.7%.

Subgroup performance reveals notable gaps: Hispanic students rank in the 6th percentile statewide, special education students in the 11th, and African American students in the 10th, while White students rank higher (17th percentile). The school serves male students somewhat better than female students. Despite spending less per student than Turner and Dooly, Crisp County outperforms both on most measures, suggesting efficient use of resources. The stark contrast with Wilcox County—which achieves 2–4 times higher proficiency with similar poverty levels and higher absenteeism—highlights that significant improvement is possible and points to instructional strategies worth investigating. Overall, Crisp County Middle School faces real challenges but shows modest momentum in math and attendance.