Riverwatch Middle School

Public 6-8

 610 James Burgess Rd
       Suwanee, GA  30024


(678) 455-7311

District: Forsyth County

SchoolDigger Rank:
4th of 582 Georgia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,313 Help


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

Student/teacher ratio:  19.0 Help
Number of students:  1,537

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
59.2%
White:
25.0%
Hispanic:
6.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  4.7% Help


 See top rated Georgia middle schools

 Compare Riverwatch Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Riverwatch Middle School ranks better than 99.3% of middle schools in Georgia. It also ranks first among 10 ranked middle schools in the Forsyth County School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.41. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Riverwatch Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Forsyth County School District. Racial makeup is: Asian (59.2%), White (25%), Hispanic (6.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 4.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Riverwatch Middle School is 19, which is the highest among 10 middle schools in the Forsyth County School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Riverwatch Middle School employs 80.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Riverwatch Middle School is $7,313, which is the lowest among 10 middle schools in the Forsyth County School District!
Schooldigger Rankings:

Riverwatch Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Riverwatch Middle School 4th of 582 Georgia public middle schools. (See Riverwatch Middle School in the ranking list.)

Forsyth County:

SchoolDigger ranks Forsyth County 9th of 201 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Riverwatch Middle School?

Rank History for Riverwatch Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 91.77 2nd 420 99.5%
2007 91.73 3rd 445 99.3%
2008 92.41 2nd 462 99.6%
2009 90.77 2nd 466 99.6%
2010 89.55 3rd 494 99.4%
2011 88.33 2nd 504 99.6%
2012 86.27 7th 508 98.6%
2013 86.50 4th 527 99.2%
2014 85.24 11th 521 97.9%
2015 99.33 2nd 537 99.6%
2016 99.43 2nd 545 99.6%
2017 99.72 1st 539 99.8%
2018 99.72 1st 543 99.8%
2019 99.38 3rd 559 99.5%
2021 99.35 2nd 542 99.6%
2022 99.29 3rd 567 99.5%
2023 99.41 3rd 577 99.5%
See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Riverwatch Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.3)
55%

0%

0%

9%

36%

  

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



Enrollment information for Riverwatch Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 760 8 22 13 1 n/a n/a 6 810
2006 867 13 31 16 0 n/a n/a 9 936
2007 970 11 60 30 0 n/a n/a 8 1079
2008 865 14 71 24 0 n/a n/a 16 990
2009 910 28 112 30 0 n/a n/a 15 1095
2010 837 25 137 63 4 0 32 0 1098
2011 875 38 167 82 6 0 30 0 1198
2012 905 46 193 69 8 0 35 0 1256
2013 985 37 249 74 5 0 38 0 1388
2014 981 48 303 70 3 0 44 0 1449
2015 821 50 422 64 4 0 33 0 1394
2016 673 48 520 68 5 0 35 0 1349
2017 586 53 611 68 5 1 36 0 1360
2018 537 58 676 72 4 2 39 0 1388
2019 499 54 786 86 2 2 49 0 1478
2020 509 65 816 95 6 1 50 0 1542
2021 470 89 823 108 10 2 50 0 1552
2022 436 89 836 93 7 2 55 0 1518
2023 384 81 910 97 5 2 58 0 1537

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Riverwatch Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 810 49.0 16.5 1.4
2006 936 60.5 15.5 1.6
2007 1079 70.5 15.3 2.8
2008 990 69.5 14.2 2.9
2009 1095 73.0 15.0 3.3
2010 1098 68.0 16.1 5.8
2011 1198 66.5 18.0 6.9
2012 1256 71.0 17.6 7.7
2013 1388 72.0 19.2 6.9
2014 1449 77.8 18.6 6.7
2015 1394 73.0 19.0 5.8
2016 1349 70.0 19.2 5.3
2017 1360 70.5 19.2 5.1
2018 1388 71.9 19.3 4.7
2019 1478 79.9 18.4 4.1
2020 1542 81.3 18.9 4.3
2021 1552 83.5 18.5 4.9
2022 1518 81.5 18.6 n/a
2023 1537 80.8 19.0 4.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Riverwatch Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 810 49.0 16.5 1.4
2006 936 60.5 15.5 1.6
2007 1079 70.5 15.3 2.8
2008 990 69.5 14.2 2.9
2009 1095 73.0 15.0 3.3
2010 1098 68.0 16.1 5.8
2011 1198 66.5 18.0 6.9
2012 1256 71.0 17.6 7.7
2013 1388 72.0 19.2 6.9
2014 1449 77.8 18.6 6.7
2015 1394 73.0 19.0 5.8
2016 1349 70.0 19.2 5.3
2017 1360 70.5 19.2 5.1
2018 1388 71.9 19.3 4.7
2019 1478 79.9 18.4 4.1
2020 1542 81.3 18.9 4.3
2021 1552 83.5 18.5 4.9
2022 1518 81.5 18.6 n/a
2023 1537 80.8 19.0 4.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Riverwatch Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $119 (1.8%) $6,611 (98.2%) $6,729
2018 $126 (1.8%) $6,844 (98.2%) $6,970
2019 $133 (1.8%) $7,179 (98.2%) $7,313

Data source: Georgia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverwatch Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 3rd of 559 Middle schoolsRanks 3rd of 577 Middle schools
 0%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Riverwatch Middle School)88.682.4
 6.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Forsyth County)7763.3
 13.7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4639.2
 6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Riverwatch Middle School)85.482.6
 2.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Forsyth County)71.964.8
 7.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4032.9
 7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Riverwatch Middle School)84.880.8
 4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Forsyth County)68.462.8
 5.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)3939.1
 0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Riverwatch Middle School)92.687
 5.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Forsyth County)76.869
 7.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4334.9
 8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Riverwatch Middle School)89.880.5
 9.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Forsyth County)7761.6
 15.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4742.1
 4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Riverwatch Middle School)79.384.2
 4.9%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Forsyth County)60.765.2
 4.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)3536.2
 1.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Riverwatch Middle School)83.580.7
 2.8%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Forsyth County)66.560.3
 6.2%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)4135.9
 5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Riverwatch Middle School)9994.5
 4.5%
   End of Course Algebra I (Forsyth County)76.362.5
 13.8%
   End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)41.135.8
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students14781537
 4%
African American5481
 50%
American Indian25
 150%
Asian786910
 15.8%
Hispanic8697
 12.8%
Pacific Islander22
White499384
 23%
Two or More Races4958
 18.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients4.1%4.7%
 0.6%


Schools Near Riverwatch Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Riverwatch Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,537 students attended 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 4th of 582 Georgia middle schools.

Students at Riverwatch Middle School are 59% Asian, 25% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% African American, 4% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education. Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

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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