Summary:
Middle schools in zip code 30101 (Acworth, GA) serve approximately 2,682 students across grades 6-8 in three schools spanning two districts—Cobb County and Paulding County—and offer a striking mix of academic outcomes within just a few miles of each other.
For families prioritizing top-tier academics, Durham Middle School and Crossroads Middle School are the clear standouts. Both earned 5-star ratings and rank in the 93rd percentile statewide (38th and 41st of 578, respectively). Durham has shown consistent year-over-year improvement, jumping from 78th to 38th in state rank, and outperforms state averages by wide margins in nearly every subject—especially 8th grade Social Studies (73.5% proficiency vs. 40.2% state average). Crossroads matches Durham's excellence and posts a perfect 100% proficiency on Algebra I End of Course exams. In contrast, Barber Middle School lags far behind, earning a 3-star rating and ranking 267th (54th percentile). In 6th grade math, Durham (67.9%) and Crossroads (66.5%) both nearly double Barber's 35.0% proficiency rate—a gap that persists across most subjects and grades.
Notably, all three schools excel in advanced Algebra I, with proficiency rates of 100%, 97.6%, and 87.1%—all dramatically above the 48.1% state average. However, socioeconomic and operational differences are stark: Barber has a 57.85% free/reduced lunch rate (vs. 31.17% at Crossroads and 21.65% at Durham) and the highest chronic absenteeism (13.4%), yet also the highest per-student spending at $16,189—over $4,500 more than Crossroads—without corresponding results. Durham's absenteeism (9.2%) is the lowest, and its upward trajectory suggests strong momentum. For families, the choice is clear: Durham and Crossroads deliver exceptional outcomes, while Barber, despite higher funding, struggles to reach state averages in most subjects.
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