Summary:
Zip code 30041 in Cumming, Georgia, is home to four middle schools serving grades 6-8 within the highly regarded Forsyth County district, which ranks in the 97th percentile statewide.
Three of the four schools form a high-achieving cluster. South Forsyth Middle School leads the group with a 5-star rating, a 98th percentile state ranking, and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (4.6%). Piney Grove Middle School and Lakeside Middle School also earn 5 stars, ranking in the 95th and 93rd percentiles respectively. These three schools post proficiency rates that frequently exceed 80% in core subjects, with Algebra I proficiency at 96-100% across all four schools. In contrast, Little Mill Middle School is a clear outlier, ranking in the 55th percentile with a 3-star rating. Its proficiency rates run 30-40 percentage points lower than its neighbors, and its chronic absenteeism rate (16.6%) is more than triple that of South Forsyth.
The most telling pattern involves economic disadvantage and attendance. Little Mill has a free/reduced lunch rate of 39.96%—nearly three times higher than Lakeside (14.67%) and five times higher than South Forsyth (7.88%)—and this gap closely tracks its lower test scores. Notably, Little Mill actually spends the most per student ($12,527) while South Forsyth spends the least ($11,061), suggesting funding is not the primary driver of outcomes. Despite the disparities, all four schools benefit from the district's strength; even Little Mill outperforms state averages in several metrics, including 6th grade math (48.3% vs. 40.7% statewide). For parents, the choice is clear: South Forsyth, Piney Grove, and Lakeside offer elite, top-tier academics, while Little Mill, though still above state averages, presents a significantly different educational experience with higher absenteeism and lower achievement.
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