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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.

Merry Acres Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

482^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 578 Georgia Middle Schools

Better than 17% of Georgia middle schools

Summary

Merry Acres Middle School in Albany, GA, serves 807 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Dougherty County School District, a high-poverty area where every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

Merry Acres currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 17th percentile of Georgia middle schools, placing it in the bottom fifth statewide—a position it has maintained for the past decade. While these numbers are challenging, the school shows some relative strengths. Its special education program ranks in the 36th percentile (2 stars), notably stronger than its overall performance. Additionally, the school has shown a slight upward trend in recent years, climbing from a low of the 7th percentile in 2020-2021 to its current 17th percentile. Chronic absenteeism remains a significant hurdle, with 22.1% of students missing substantial school time, though this is an improvement from 26.6% the prior year and below the district average of 24.4%.

Compared to nearby schools, Merry Acres outperforms Radium Springs Middle School, located just under six miles away, which ranks in the bottom 4% of the state—Merry Acres' math proficiency rates are roughly double those at Radium Springs. However, the contrast with Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet, a selective magnet school in the same district, is stark: in 8th-grade science, Merry Acres posts a 17% proficiency rate versus Cross's 66.5%. Notably, Merry Acres spends $15,601 per student—comparable to the magnet school's $16,307—suggesting funding is not the primary issue. The school's biggest challenge is translating resources into outcomes for a student body facing substantial socioeconomic hurdles, with chronic absenteeism being the most pressing area for intervention.

807

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,601

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1601 Florence Dr
Albany, GA 31707

(229) 431-3338

District: Dougherty County

Students who attend Merry Acres Middle School usually attend:

High:

Westover High School

Feeder schools for Merry Acres Middle School:

Elementary:	Lake Park Elementary School
	Live Oak Elementary School
	Sherwood Acres Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

92.9%

Hispanic:

2.5%

White:

2.0%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Merry Acres Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 22nd percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (17% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg26%

Georgia avg40%

482^nd of 578

Georgia public middle schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Middle Schools in the Dougherty County

141^st of 202Dougherty 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	17.5	482 of 578	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.4	465 of 585	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.6	482 of 578	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	448 of 569	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	485 of 558	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	502 of 542	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	478 of 559	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.0	459 of 543	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.6	430 of 539	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.6	427 of 545	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	45.6	283 of 537	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.5	293 of 521	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	54.5	277 of 527	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	60.1	226 of 508	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.0	259 of 504	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	48.6	287 of 494	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	51.6	252 of 466	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.7	273 of 462	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	44.7	293 of 445	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	43.3	285 of 420	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	354 of 480	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.8	315 of 494	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.6	335 of 489	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	302 of 485	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.5	360 of 482	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	464 of 550	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	453 of 567	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	485 of 558	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	455 of 553	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	481 of 544	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	17.5	462 of 550	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.9	471 of 569	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	452 of 561	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.3	426 of 559	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	474 of 553	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	271 of 425	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.3	387 of 442	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	299 of 437	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	305 of 429	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.4	399 of 431	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)36th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2026)26th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)16th percentile~ school

Female (2026)16th percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics19%-24 vs state

Science17%-13 vs state

Social Studies12%-28 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, May 4, 2015

I lovedddddddddddddd this school! It was the best! They lest us pick our lockers, though they were dusty and brownish-color, they still were nice if you picked the right one (look out for locker 70, people!). They let us talk in the halls and at lunch, though sometimes if we were really loud (huehuehue lots of times our class shut all of the lunch talking down) they would put us on silent lunch for a little bit, perhaps the rest of the day, and usually the next day. I never got lunch detention, but people said it was fun. You couldn't talk, but people were still friendly. They also added a new part of the school that you could seriously tell you entered a whole new school. It was designated for 8th grade, and all new lockers and classrooms and halls were there. It's sort of dusty and spaced out now, for Excel has come and gone to Robert Cross (like me D:). I've been there since then, though, for 4-H competitions and such, and I know people there still. I remember how fun PE was, even though they'd push you a bit, they wouldn't knock you down. They also had the newest technology of all the schools, for they're a Title I school (they gain money from the community to support falling community members) and gain lots of money in the process. The school may be a bit dusty, old, and sometimes ghetto, but if you go to this school, you won't regret it! Close Quote

Schools Near Merry Acres 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
Merry Acres Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 Florence Dr	Albany	31707	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 431-3338	807	59	13.6	100.0%	16 (2.0%)	750 (92.9%)	20 (2.5%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.9%)	17.5	482^nd of 578 public middle schools	16.6%		20.4	465^th of 585 public middle schools	20.5%	17		20.2	17.6	17.8	17.0	12.2		$15,601	$2,061	$13,540
Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet	Public, Magnet	6-8	324 Lockett Station Rd	Albany	31721	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(229) 431-3362	478	35	13.5	96.0%	13 (2.7%)	413 (86.4%)	27 (5.6%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.9%)	97.9	4^th of 578 public middle schools	99.3%		98.1	11^th of 585 public middle schools	98.1%	7	100.0	86.2	78.9	77.8	66.5	79.2		$16,307	$1,731	$14,575
Albany Middle School	Public	6-8	1700 Cordell Ave	Albany	31705	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 431-3325	792	51	15.5	100.0%	31 (3.9%)	712 (89.9%)	38 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.4%)	27.1	417^th of 578 public middle schools	27.9%		21.6	461^st of 585 public middle schools	21.2%	44		11.8	14.9	36.7	29.9	16.9		$14,652	$2,150	$12,502
Radium Springs Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 Radium Springs Rd	Albany	31705	Dougherty County	Dougherty County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 431-3346	747	53	13.9	100.0%	14 (1.9%)	682 (91.3%)	37 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.9%)	8.4	555^th of 578 public middle schools	4.0%		8.3	566^th of 585 public middle schools	3.2%	11		9.3	9.4	7.5	8.0	6.8		$16,504	$2,330	$14,174
Lee County Middle School East	Public	6-8	185 Firetower Rd	Leesburg	31763	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 903-3500	630	44	14.3	64.6%	349 (55.4%)	204 (32.4%)	36 (5.7%)	20 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.2%)	62.6	188^th of 578 public middle schools	67.5%		60.5	204^th of 585 public middle schools	65.1%	16	96.0	36.6	36.9	60.0	37.7	43.2	80.8	$12,359	$538	$11,821
Lee County Middle School West	Public	6-8	190 Smithville Rd N	Leesburg	31763	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 903-2140	778	51	15.1	57.2%	415 (53.3%)	256 (32.9%)	33 (4.2%)	30 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.7%)	81.7	89^th of 578 public middle schools	84.6%		69.6	151^st of 585 public middle schools	74.2%	62	100.0	54.8	53.8	66.8	41.6	54.3	90.8	$11,570	$560	$11,010
Terrell County Middle School	Public	6-8	201 Greenwave Blvd	Dawson	39842	Terrell County	Terrell County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 995-2828	215	18	11.6	100.0%	6 (2.8%)	198 (92.1%)	10 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	7.1	563^rd of 578 public middle schools	2.6%		15.5	510^th of 585 public middle schools	12.8%	53		7.6	8.4	8.8	4.4	4.5		$22,045	$5,049	$16,997

Frequently Asked Questions about Merry Acres Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Merry Acres Middle School?

Students at Merry Acres Middle School are 93% African American, 2% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Merry Acres Middle School in?

Dougherty County

What high school do graduates of Merry Acres Middle School attend?

Students who attend Merry Acres Middle School usually go on to attend Westover High School

How many students attend Merry Acres Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 807 students attended Merry Acres Middle School.

Is Merry Acres Middle School a good school?

Merry Acres Middle School ranks in the bottom 16.6% of Georgia middle schools.

Rate Merry Acres 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.