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Riverwatch Middle School

Public Grades 6-8
16th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 578 Georgia Middle Schools
Better than 97% of Georgia middle schools
Summary

Riverwatch Middle School in Suwanee, GA, serves 1,455 students in grades 6–8 and is part of the highly rated Forsyth County district, which ranks 7th out of 201 districts statewide. This school has a remarkable track record: for nearly a decade (2015–2025), it consistently ranked in the top 5 in Georgia, and its most recent 2025–2026 ranking of 16th (97th percentile) still places it among the top 3% of middle schools in the state. That slight dip reflects increased competition at the top, not a decline in test scores—the school's actual performance remains at or above prior-year levels.

What truly sets Riverwatch apart is its extraordinary math performance. In 2025–2026, proficiency rates hit 86% (6th grade), 87.7% (7th grade), and 90.9% (8th grade)—far above district averages (73.4%, 71.5%, 72.1%) and more than double state averages (40.7%, 42%, 46.3%). The standout metric is Algebra I: 99% proficiency, compared to 71.6% for the district and 48.1% for the state. Even the school's "lowest" subject, HS Physical Science at 80%, beats the district by 18 points. Riverwatch also excels with special education students, ranking 4th out of 425 schools statewide (99th percentile)—a rare achievement that shows the school serves all learners effectively, not just those who arrive academically advantaged. Chronic absenteeism is just 4.0%, less than half the district rate (8.2%) and a quarter of the state rate (17.7%), reflecting strong attendance and family engagement.

Compared to nearby schools, Riverwatch edges out its closest rival, South Forsyth Middle School (2.55 miles away), in 8th grade math (90.9% vs. 87.3%) and 7th grade math (87.7% vs. 87.1%), while the two are essentially tied in Algebra I. The efficiency is striking: Riverwatch spends $10,969 per student—32% less than Otwell Middle School ($14,462) and 43% less than River Trail Middle School ($15,630)—yet achieves dramatically better results. Even with a higher student-teacher ratio (18.4:1) than most peers, Riverwatch's outcomes suggest highly effective instruction and a deeply engaged community. While its performance with White students (ranked 65th) is relatively weaker than other subgroups, the school's overall consistency and elite standing make it a standout choice for families seeking sustained excellence.

1,455
Students ?
18.4
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,969
Per pupil spending ?
13.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 610 James Burgess Rd
       Suwanee, GA  30024

(678) 455-7311

District: Forsyth County


Students who attend Riverwatch Middle School usually attend:

High:    Lambert High School

Feeder schools for Riverwatch Middle School:

Elementary:    Johns Creek Elementary
    Settles Bridge Elementary School
Racial breakdown:

Asian:
61.7%
White:
21.9%
Hispanic:
7.0%
more
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 Compare Riverwatch Middle School to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 100th percentile in 2016 → 97th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Georgia average (88% vs 45% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 3% of Georgia middle schools
✓Among the top-ranked schools in Forsyth County
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school88%
District avg70%
Georgia avg45%
16th of 578
Georgia public middle schools ?
Top 3%▼ down 2 pts since 2016
See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
2nd of 11Middle Schools in the Forsyth County
7th of 201Forsyth 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202693.516 of 57897.2%★★★★★
202599.34 of 58599.3%★★★★★
202499.24 of 57899.3%★★★★★
202399.44 of 56999.3%★★★★★
202299.33 of 55899.5%★★★★★
202199.32 of 54299.6%★★★★★
201999.43 of 55999.5%★★★★★
201899.71 of 54399.8%★★★★★
201799.71 of 53999.8%★★★★★
201699.42 of 54599.6%★★★★★
201599.32 of 53799.6%★★★★★
201485.211 of 52197.9%★★★★★
201386.54 of 52799.2%★★★★★
201286.37 of 50898.6%★★★★★
201188.32 of 50499.6%★★★★★
201089.63 of 49499.4%★★★★★
200990.82 of 46699.6%★★★★★
200892.42 of 46299.6%★★★★★
200791.73 of 44599.3%★★★★★
200691.82 of 42099.5%★★★★★

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202691.121 of 48095.6%★★★★★
202596.17 of 49498.6%★★★★★
202492.820 of 48995.9%★★★★★
202390.930 of 48593.8%★★★★★
202287.243 of 48291.1%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202680.910 of 8988.8%★★★★☆
202583.85 of 9294.6%★★★★★
202480.810 of 9088.9%★★★★☆
202381.810 of 9589.5%★★★★★
202280.312 of 8986.5%★★★★☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202596.03 of 19998.5%★★★★★
202488.38 of 20096.0%★★★★★
202398.71 of 16699.4%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202692.624 of 55095.6%★★★★★
202595.514 of 56797.5%★★★★★
202495.115 of 55897.3%★★★★★
202395.618 of 55396.7%★★★★★
202296.412 of 54497.8%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202693.215 of 37496.0%★★★★★
202594.713 of 40096.8%★★★★★
202493.217 of 38195.5%★★★★★
202390.621 of 38094.5%★★★★★
202292.916 of 36795.6%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202693.417 of 55096.9%★★★★★
202595.216 of 56997.2%★★★★★
202495.813 of 56197.7%★★★★★
202393.730 of 55994.6%★★★★★
202295.618 of 55396.7%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202582.323 of 16986.4%★★★★☆
202484.519 of 17289.0%★★★★☆
202391.69 of 16394.5%★★★★★
202291.24 of 14597.2%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202699.34 of 42599.1%★★★★★
202599.92 of 44299.5%★★★★★
202496.310 of 43797.7%★★★★★
202398.27 of 42998.4%★★★★★
202299.34 of 43199.1%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankGeorgia percentileRating
202680.065 of 40483.9%★★★★☆
202582.062 of 41585.1%★★★★☆
202484.549 of 41788.2%★★★★☆
202379.372 of 42983.2%★★★★☆
202288.137 of 42591.3%★★★★★
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)99th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2025)98th percentile~ school
Male (2026)97th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2026)96th percentile~ school
Female (2026)96th percentile~ school
African American (2026)96th percentile~ school
Asian (2026)89th percentile-8 vs school
Multi-racial (2025)86th percentile-13 vs school
White (2026)84th percentile-13 vs school
By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?
Algebra I99%+51 vs state
Mathematics88%+45 vs state
Social Studies87%+46 vs state
HS Physical Science80%+19 vs state

3.3
11 ratings · 6 written reviews
5★6
4★0
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2★1
1★4
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, January 31, 2019

Open Quote We recently moved here from Virginia. My daughter has always struggled with learning and has had an an I.E.P. (Individualized Education Program) for the last 3 years which basically means she's allowed certain accommodations to help her learn. With Riverwatch being #1 & having such high test scores and my daughter coming from a less than desirable school in Virginia (low test scores) I was concerned Riverwatch would be so focused on getting those high test scores that she'd be pushed aside as a lost cause or pushed so much to get high test scores that she'd be stressed out. However, that has NOT been the case. Her Math & ELA classes are her extra help classes and her Science & Social Studies are regular classes all four teachers have been amazing! They truly want your child to succeed & they make sure any improvement your child makes is recognized. That means if your child gets a D on a quiz but a C on the test, the teachers congratulate them on their improvement. They're not just telling the A students good job. This is SO encouraging to my daughter! She was mostly a C student before Riverwatch & now she has all A's & B's on her 1st & 2nd quarter marking periods. She is SO much more confident and is a much happy child. I know some of the improvement in my daughter is due to the way Forsyth County teaches but I also know it's mainly due to Riverwatch & their awesome teachers!
Oh and as for loads of "busy work" and homework some reviewers have talked about, that has also NOT been the case. At least so far for 6th grade. Most of her homework has been to study for a quiz or test, which is mostly done through games & videos that the teachers put on the It's Learning app Forsyth County schools use. This is a really fun way for them to study & my daughter LOVES it! Close Quote


by a student
Friday, June 1, 2018

Open Quote I am a senior at Lambert high school, I wrote a review a couple years back (could not find it on here?) and I still stand by every word I said. It was a VERY long and detailed review. Let me start with this: I don't know who is giving good reviews and telling you that RMS is a great school. Your children are lying to you if they tell you "oh yeah it's fine". Only specific kids have it good there, because of all the bias and favoritism the teachers posses. Although there were some nice things I remember about my time there, when I am asked how my experience was, my first response is always negative. Shoutout to Misty Southern, Melissa Ryan, Mr. Prather, Amy Johnson, Lisa Alliston, Ms. Storm, Ms. Hunley, Ms. Rodriguez, Mr. Koperniak, and a few others for being good teachers that actually care. Otherwise, most/a large portion of the teachers do not seem to care. They depend on textbooks and outdated videos to teach, and give the students too much busy work, with less time spent teaching/learning. For example, I had several teachers that did not teach at ALL, they gave busy work with fill in notes that you have to find yourself online or in textbooks. There was a lot of material given on tests/quizzes that were not taught prior to taking them. The counselors like to tell themselves that showing us sad YouTube videos and more fill in notes will definitely help every student and that they're job consists of nothing more. RMS was a huge contribution to my depression, anxiety, and more. I enjoyed participating in the plays, however there was always still some bias. Food is straight up bad. Prison food is statistically better and I'm sure 99 of the students agree. They leave no room for social life, free time outside of school, or childhood. I do NOT recommend RMS. If possible, find another school. They are straight up rude, pessimistic and give no attempt to understand the students better. Close Quote


by a principal
Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Open Quote The principals don't know a thing about science!!! You can't punish a kid for being curious about science, but they did. 3 days of OSS for science, not even something unsafe like during a lab and not following instructions. Just looking up some stuff about biology on the bus. So glad I'm out of that hellhole Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Open Quote All I ask is for some sort of fair, respectful, positive type environment for my child to learn. Riverwatch is not that place. At least half of the administrators and teachers absolutely DO NOT CARE about the children at all. Reminds me of pushing a herd of cattle through a system. Disappointing in so many ways. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, February 2, 2015

Open Quote Extremely disappointed. The principal does not care for academies, but puts more emphasis on sports.
Being a parent of a student on the Academic Bowl, I thought the school would provide the money to support the club.
However, unlike schools who focus on academics and support it, they made us pay $40.
I do not mind paying the $40. However, what's shocking is that the school gives little interest in those areas.
Not just academics, but also areas like band and chorus. Student numbers increase for band every year. However, the band room's size stays the same.
The school takes pride in academics and arrogantly boasts that Riverwatch is the best public school in Georgia.
However, the reality is strikingly and shockingly different.
The real world are math and science competitions.
However, Riverwatch discourages that and so do the students who attend there.
Compared to schools like South or Piney Grove, Riverwatch lacks in a lot of areas.
Riverwatch, stop being arrogant and ignorant. Open up your eyes to see the reality.
My child tells me teachers boast about how Riverwatch is always #1 or #2 in Georgia.
And he has attended for 3 years.
Terrible, terrible school. Close Quote


by a parent
Saturday, December 27, 2014

Open Quote Extremely rude staff; principal does not care about academics. She cuts academic, music, and arts programs in favor of additional funding for the football and basketball teams. The administration/counseling staff are very rude and selectively enforce rules, always taking the word of white children over my (Asian) kids. The gym floor is renovated every year, but the band room constantly exceeds the fire department's occupancy limits because it is too small to accommodate the students. I have seen this for myself. The Spanish language program has almost been entirely cut. But guess what: the gym floor was renovated again. The science program runs on a smaller budget than the gym. Awful school. Truly awful. Close Quote




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Frequently Asked Questions about Riverwatch Middle School

Students who attend Riverwatch Middle School usually go on to attend Lambert High School

Yes! Riverwatch Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 16th of 578 Georgia middle schools.

Students at Riverwatch Middle School are 62% Asian, 22% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,455 students attended Riverwatch Middle School.

Rate Riverwatch 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.

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