Rising Starr Middle School

Rising Starr Middle School in Fayetteville, GA, serves 931 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the highly rated Fayette County district, which ranks in the 94th percentile statewide.

Rising Starr is consistently one of Georgia's top middle schools, currently ranking 24th out of 578 schools statewide (96th percentile) and never falling below 24th place over the past decade. The school's math performance is exceptional: 6th grade math proficiency is 73.6%, 7th grade is 81.3%, and 8th grade is 82.8%—all far above state averages. Most striking is Algebra I, where 94.8% of students are proficient, nearly double the state average and 22.5 points above the district. In 8th grade social studies, 84.6% of students are proficient versus 40.2% statewide, and 8th grade physical science proficiency is 80.8%. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 5.4%, less than one-third of the state average. The school also performs strongly across all student subgroups, including special education students who rank in the 94th percentile statewide—an area where many top schools struggle.

Compared to nearby Fayette County schools, Rising Starr is the clear academic leader. It ranks 24th statewide, while Whitewater Middle ranks 49th, J.C. Booth Middle 52nd, Flat Rock Middle 170th, and Bennett's Mill Middle 204th. The gap is substantial—for example, Rising Starr's 6th grade math proficiency exceeds Flat Rock's by nearly 31 points. The school also spends less per student ($13,667) than several lower-performing neighbors, suggesting strong efficiency. While its ranking has dipped slightly from 6th in 2022-2023 to 24th now, actual test scores remain exceptionally high, and the school's decade-long track record of top-25 performance makes it one of the most consistently excellent middle schools in Georgia.