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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.

South Paulding Middle School

Q: Is South Paulding Middle School a good school?

South Paulding Middle School ranks 294 th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

294^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 578 Georgia Middle Schools

Better than 49% of Georgia middle schools

Summary

South Paulding Middle School in Dallas, GA, serves 507 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Paulding County School District, with a favorable 13.3:1 student-to-teacher ratio and a 2-star state rating that places it in the middle of Georgia middle schools.

The school's standout strength is its Algebra I program. An impressive 79.3% of students scored proficient or above on the Algebra I End-of-Course assessment, compared to just 46% district-wide and 48.1% statewide—a 33-point advantage. This exceptional performance has been consistent, with proficiency rates of 84.2% in 2024-2025 and 67.6% in 2023-2024. However, grade-level math tells a different story: only 38.8% of 6th graders, 28.3% of 7th graders, and 30.1% of 8th graders scored proficient, all below district and state averages. The gap is especially wide in 7th and 8th grades, where the school trails the district by 13-14 points. This creates a striking paradox—advanced math students thrive while the broader student population struggles with grade-level mathematics. In science, the school has shown dramatic improvement, jumping from 10.4% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 30.1% in 2025-2026, now above the state average of 29.7% and ahead of nearby Paulding County schools like P.B. Ritch Middle and Herschel Jones Middle.

Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically, falling from 33.2% in 2021-2022 to 17.5% in 2025-2026, now right at the state average. The school also shows solid 8th-grade social studies performance, nearly matching district and state averages. Per-student spending of $15,278 is higher than most nearby schools, including Carl Scoggins Senior Middle ($12,496), though J.A. Dobbins Middle spends more ($16,471). While the school has not yet recovered its pre-pandemic 3-star status, recent improvements in science, attendance, and continued Algebra I excellence suggest it may be positioning for a rebound—though closing the grade-level math gap will likely be critical to that goal.

507

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,278

Per pupil spending ?

58.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

592 Nebo Rd
Dallas, GA 30157

(770) 445-8500

District: Paulding County

Students who attend South Paulding Middle School usually attend:

High:

Paulding County High School

Feeder schools for South Paulding Middle School:

Elementary:

Nebo Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.8%

African American:

23.3%

Hispanic:

13.0%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare South Paulding Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 39th percentile in 2023 → 49th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 49th (2026) from a 39th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (35% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 11 pts below the Georgia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg43%

Georgia avg42%

294^th of 578

Georgia public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 10Middle Schools in the Paulding County

88^th of 202Paulding 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	45.0	294 of 578	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.4	318 of 585	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	301 of 578	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.9	346 of 569	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	300 of 558	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.1	190 of 542	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.0	200 of 559	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.5	172 of 543	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.0	193 of 539	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	60.4	186 of 545	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.5	182 of 537	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.3	240 of 521	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.6	193 of 527	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.6	239 of 508	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.7	240 of 504	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.4	194 of 494	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.0	220 of 466	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	54.4	226 of 462	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.4	159 of 445	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.9	132 of 420	68.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	46.5	218 of 480	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	251 of 494	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	238 of 489	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.6	259 of 485	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.3	189 of 482	60.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	41.9	297 of 550	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.4	318 of 567	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.5	298 of 558	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.0	300 of 553	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	295 of 544	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	214 of 374	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.6	196 of 400	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.1	224 of 381	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	225 of 380	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.4	222 of 367	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	279 of 550	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.7	319 of 569	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	297 of 561	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.8	379 of 559	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.6	298 of 553	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	241 of 425	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.9	217 of 442	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.8	174 of 437	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.6	230 of 429	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.9	213 of 431	50.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	23.1	325 of 404	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.6	363 of 415	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	328 of 417	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	384 of 429	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	352 of 425	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)55th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)49th percentile~ school

Female (2026)46th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)43rd percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)43rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I79%+31 vs state

Social Studies39%~ state avg

Mathematics32%-11 vs state

Science30%~ state avg

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, July 1, 2021

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Schools Near South Paulding 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
South Paulding Middle School	Public	6-8	592 Nebo Rd	Dallas	30157	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 445-8500	507	38	13.3	58.8%	293 (57.8%)	118 (23.3%)	66 (13.0%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.7%)	45	294^th of 578 public middle schools	49.1%		42.4	318^th of 585 public middle schools	45.6%	24	79.3	38.8	28.3	30.1	30.1	39.2		$15,278	$241	$15,037
Irma C. Austin Middle School	Public	6-8	3490 Ridge Rd	Douglasville	30134	Douglas County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 942-0316	782	52	15.0	58.3%	331 (42.3%)	284 (36.3%)	117 (15.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (5.8%)	44.2	300^th of 578 public middle schools	48.1%		40.7	333^rd of 585 public middle schools	43.1%	33	83.3	41.1	34.8	26.3	33.2	28.5		$13,317	$203	$13,114
Carl Scoggins Senior Middle school	Public	6-8	1663 Mulberry Rock Rd	Dallas	30157	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 456-4188	809	49	16.5	52.8%	531 (65.6%)	158 (19.5%)	79 (9.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.6%)	49	266^th of 578 public middle schools	54.0%		51.1	255^th of 585 public middle schools	56.4%	11	96.4	34.0	47.4	37.1	26.6	33.7		$12,496	$225	$12,270
Villa Rica Middle	Public	6-8	614 Tumlin Lake Rd	Temple	30179	Carroll County	Carroll County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 459-0407	481	31	15.3	47.8%	191 (39.7%)	195 (40.5%)	61 (12.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.7%)	27.7	413^th of 578 public middle schools	28.5%		29.4	414^th of 585 public middle schools	29.2%	1	82.8	27.5	29.6	30.8	14.6	21.5	22.6	$13,392	$784	$12,608
J. A. Dobbins Middle School	Public	6-8	637 Williams Lake Rd	Powder Springs	30127	Cobb County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 443-4835	531	41	12.9	71.4%	130 (24.5%)	205 (38.6%)	157 (29.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.8%)	47	283^rd of 578 public middle schools	51.0%		41.7	326^th of 585 public middle schools	44.3%	43	100.0	25.7	30.2	46.7	29.6	39.7		$16,471	$722	$15,749
Mason Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	7777 Mason Creek Rd	Winston	30187	Douglas County	Douglas County	No	No	No	No	(770) 651-2500	853	58	14.6	68.5%	166 (19.5%)	426 (49.9%)	167 (19.6%)	19 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (8.7%)	69.7	153^rd of 578 public middle schools	73.5%		60.9	198^th of 585 public middle schools	66.2%	45	100.0	56.8	41.4	41.1	45.2	49.9		$14,826	$426	$14,400
Herschel Jones Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Stadium Dr	Dallas	30132	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 443-8024	728	53	13.8	71.7%	208 (28.6%)	352 (48.4%)	112 (15.4%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	41 (5.6%)	27.2	415^th of 578 public middle schools	28.2%		26.3	432^nd of 585 public middle schools	26.2%	17	87.5	14.7	23.8	28.4	26.3	21.2		$13,789	$832	$12,956
Stewart Middle School	Public	6-8	8138 Malone St	Douglasville	30134	Douglas County	Douglas County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 651-5400	533	35	15.4	86.7%	12 (2.3%)	390 (73.2%)	101 (18.9%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.5%)	19.2	467^th of 578 public middle schools	19.2%		19.7	470^th of 585 public middle schools	19.7%	3		7.5	15.7	19.8	21.9	20.2		$15,239	$1,709	$13,531
P. B. Ritch Middle School	Public	6-8	60 Old Country Trl	Dallas	30157	Paulding County	Paulding County	No	No	No	No	(770) 443-8000	690	48	14.3	68.3%	120 (17.4%)	390 (56.5%)	108 (15.7%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	60 (8.7%)	32.2	382^nd of 578 public middle schools	33.9%		34.2	380^th of 585 public middle schools	35.0%	2	100.0	30.2	20.8	30.8	28.8	18.1		$13,969	$576	$13,392
Bay Springs Middle School	Public	6-8	122 Bay Springs Rd	Villa Rica	30180	Carroll County	Carroll County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 459-2098	723	57	12.7	39.0%	360 (49.8%)	205 (28.4%)	90 (12.4%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.2%)	73.1	141^st of 578 public middle schools	75.6%		67.9	155^th of 585 public middle schools	73.5%	14	100.0	59.4	49.5	49.7	29.9	54.1	100.0	$14,473	$975	$13,498

Frequently Asked Questions about South Paulding Middle School

What is the racial makeup of South Paulding Middle School?

Students at South Paulding Middle School are 58% White, 23% African American, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend South Paulding Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 507 students attended South Paulding Middle School.

What high school do graduates of South Paulding Middle School attend?

Students who attend South Paulding Middle School usually go on to attend Paulding County High School

What district is South Paulding Middle School in?

Paulding County

Is South Paulding Middle School a good school?

South Paulding Middle School ranks 294^th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate South Paulding 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.