Rockmart Middle School

Rockmart Middle School serves 671 students in grades 6-8 in Rockmart, GA, a small city in Polk County where about 76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has held a steady 2-star rating for a decade, but its most recent state ranking improved to the 44th percentile (326th out of 578 Georgia middle schools), up from the 35th percentile the year before—its best showing in several years.

In math, Rockmart shows a clear pattern of growth as students advance: only 24.7% of 6th graders were proficient in 2025-2026, but that climbed to 38.5% in 7th grade and 40.2% in 8th grade—the latter actually beating the district average (36.9%). Science is a genuine bright spot, with 8th graders posting 33.5% proficiency, above the state average of 29.7% for the third straight year. However, social studies is a major concern: just 13.2% of 8th graders were proficient, a sharp drop from 18.6% the prior year and far below both the district (28.9%) and state (40.2%) averages. This subject-specific gap is the largest of any tested area and suggests a possible curriculum or instructional issue worth investigating. Chronic absenteeism has improved steadily, falling from 19.8% in 2021-2022 to 15.6% now—below both the district and state averages—which may be helping drive recent gains.

Compared to nearby schools, Rockmart sits in the lower-middle tier. It outperforms Herschel Jones Middle School (28th percentile) and P. B. Ritch Middle School (34th percentile), but trails Cedartown Middle School, its district peer, which jumped to the 53rd percentile. Notably, Rockmart actually beats Cedartown in 7th and 8th grade math, suggesting different instructional approaches. The school also faces equity challenges: subgroup rankings show female students at the 48th percentile statewide, but White, Hispanic, and African American students all rank in the bottom quartile, and multi-racial students rank in the 3rd percentile. With per-student spending declining to $11,333, the school's recent improvement—especially in math and attendance—offers cautious optimism, but closing the social studies gap and ensuring gains reach all students will be key to sustaining momentum.