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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.

Martha Puckett Middle School

Q: Is Martha Puckett Middle School a good school?

Martha Puckett Middle School ranks 228 th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

228^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 578 Georgia Middle Schools

Better than 61% of Georgia middle schools

Summary

Martha Puckett Middle School in Jesup, GA, serves 541 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Wayne County School District, and has climbed from a 2-star to a 3-star rating over the past few years.

The most impressive thing about this school is its advanced coursework. In 2025-2026, 91.7% of students scored proficient or better on the Algebra I End-of-Course test—nearly double the district average (32.4%) and far above the state (48.1%). Eighth graders taking Physical Science hit 100% proficiency, compared to 79.4% district-wide and 60.9% statewide. The school also shows strong gains in 8th-grade science, jumping from 20.2% proficiency in 2022-2023 to 36.2% in 2025-2026, beating both district and state averages. Students from historically underserved groups are performing well too, with African American and Hispanic students both ranking in the 65th–66th percentile statewide. However, grade-level math is more mixed: 6th-grade math proficiency (32.3%) trails the district (40%) and state (40.7%), while 8th-grade math (41.6%) beats the district average. Compared to nearby Long County Middle School, Martha Puckett outperforms it in most subjects and spends more per student ($13,492 vs. $9,561) with a much lower student-teacher ratio (12.3 vs. 18.5).

The school’s biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism. While it has improved dramatically—from 40.3% in 2021-2022 to 28.6% in 2025-2026—it remains well above the district (22.4%) and state (17.7%) levels. This means many students are missing school, which likely holds back overall performance. Still, the students who do attend are clearly being served well, especially in advanced classes. The school has also increased per-pupil spending by 20% since 2021-2022 and improved its student-teacher ratio, which correlates with its rising test scores. If the school can continue reducing absenteeism, it has strong potential to keep climbing. For parents, this is a school with standout advanced programs and real momentum, but attendance is something to watch closely.

541

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,492

Per pupil spending ?

76.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

475 Durrence Rd
Jesup, GA 31545

(912) 427-1061

District: Wayne County

Students who attend Martha Puckett Middle School usually attend:

High:

Wayne County High School

Feeder schools for Martha Puckett Middle School:

Elementary:	Bacon Elementary School
	Odum Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.1%

African American:

19.2%

Hispanic:

12.2%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Martha Puckett Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2016 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Georgia median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 18% Georgia)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg38%

Georgia avg43%

228^th of 578

Georgia public middle schools ?

Top 39%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Wayne County

80^th of 201Wayne 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	56.8	228 of 578	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	293 of 585	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.1	345 of 578	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.7	375 of 569	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.6	292 of 558	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.5	293 of 542	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.8	343 of 559	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	297 of 543	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.8	302 of 539	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.7	295 of 545	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.8	347 of 537	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	46.6	338 of 521	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.2	346 of 527	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.3	320 of 508	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	28.7	413 of 504	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.4	365 of 494	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	44.6	302 of 466	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.9	257 of 462	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	62.7	174 of 445	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.5	174 of 420	58.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	170 of 480	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.0	322 of 494	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.7	427 of 489	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	442 of 485	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	33.4	308 of 482	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	210 of 550	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.9	258 of 567	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.5	333 of 558	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.9	377 of 553	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	294 of 544	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	58.6	128 of 374	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.4	226 of 400	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.3	148 of 381	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.4	217 of 380	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.8	154 of 367	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	241 of 550	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.6	317 of 569	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.1	339 of 561	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.3	353 of 559	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.3	290 of 553	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2023	29.5	116 of 157	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.3	98 of 159	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	211 of 425	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	30.2	311 of 442	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.6	225 of 437	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	246 of 429	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.6	260 of 431	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	281 of 404	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.5	298 of 415	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	347 of 417	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.0	361 of 429	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.1	308 of 425	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)66th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2026)65th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)62nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)56th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)50th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)30th percentile-30 vs school

Migrant (2023)26th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

HS Physical Science100%+39 vs state

Algebra I92%+44 vs state

Social Studies47%+7 vs state

Mathematics38%-5 vs state

Science36%+6 vs state

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Schools Near Martha Puckett 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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Martha Puckett Middle School	Public	6-8	475 Durrence Rd	Jesup	31545	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 427-1061	541	44	12.3		336 (62.1%)	104 (19.2%)	66 (12.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.5%)	56.8	228^th of 578 public middle schools	60.6%		45.7	293^rd of 585 public middle schools	49.9%	65	91.7	32.3	38.7	41.6	36.2	47.1	100.0	$13,492	$954	$12,539
Arthur Williams Middle School	Public	6-8	1175 S US Highway 301	Jesup	31546	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 427-1025	626	45	13.8	97.9%	355 (56.7%)	149 (23.8%)	73 (11.7%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (6.1%)	49.9	262^nd of 578 public middle schools	54.7%		43	313^th of 585 public middle schools	46.5%	51	100.0	47.5	38.8	37.2	18.9	37.5	65.8	$12,548	$977	$11,571
Long County Middle School	Public	6-8	2001 US Highway 84 E	Ludowici	31316	Long County	Long County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 545-2069	1,007	54	18.5	77.9%	422 (41.9%)	284 (28.2%)	194 (19.3%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.4%)	97 (9.6%)	45.8	289^th of 578 public middle schools	50.0%		36	369^th of 585 public middle schools	36.9%	80	90.3	30.8	26.8	38.3	35.7	36.7		$9,561	$488	$9,073

Frequently Asked Questions about Martha Puckett Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Martha Puckett Middle School?

Students at Martha Puckett Middle School are 62% White, 19% African American, 12% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Martha Puckett Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 541 students attended Martha Puckett Middle School.

What district is Martha Puckett Middle School in?

Wayne County

Is Martha Puckett Middle School a good school?

Martha Puckett Middle School ranks 228^th of 578 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Martha Puckett Middle School attend?

Students who attend Martha Puckett Middle School usually go on to attend Wayne County High School

Rate Martha Puckett 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.