Eastbrook Middle School

Eastbrook Middle School in Dalton, GA, serves 624 students in grades 6-8 as part of Whitfield County Schools, and it has shown recent signs of improvement despite serving a student body where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch—the highest poverty concentration among the district's four middle schools.

In the latest testing cycle, Eastbrook's math proficiency rates ranged from 27.5% in 6th grade to 33.5% in 7th grade, which trails Westside Middle School—the district's top performer—by roughly 21 to 37 percentage points across grade levels. The most striking concern is 8th grade Social Studies, where only 11% of students met proficiency standards, compared to a 40.2% state average and 47.2% at Westside. This represents a dramatic decline from 27.7% proficiency in 2022-2023. On a more positive note, math scores have improved across all grade levels compared to the prior year, with 7th grade jumping from 18.4% to 33.5% proficiency, and science scores nearly doubled from 13% to 26%. The school's statewide ranking has also climbed to the 32nd percentile—its best showing since 2020-2021.

Eastbrook spends $12,687 per student, which is the lowest among Whitfield County middle schools, despite serving the highest-need population. By comparison, Valley Point Middle School, which serves a similarly high-poverty student body (98%), spends $15,553 per student—a $2,866 gap that raises questions about resource allocation. Chronic absenteeism has improved significantly, dropping from 22.4% in 2023-2024 to 17.6%, now matching the state average. While the school still trails its district peers, the combination of rising test scores and better attendance suggests recent efforts are gaining traction. Parents may want to ask about targeted support for Social Studies, English Language Learners, and Special Education students, as well as how the school plans to address the widening achievement gap with neighboring middle schools.