Summary:
Zip code 30260 in Morrow, Georgia, is home to two middle schools—Morrow Middle School and Forest Park Middle School—both serving grades 6-8 within the Clayton County School District, an area where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Morrow Middle School is the clear standout, ranking in the 31st percentile statewide (2 stars) compared to Forest Park Middle School’s 6th percentile (0 stars). Morrow outperforms Forest Park by 7 to 16 percentage points across every subject and grade level—for example, 30.0% of Morrow 8th graders are proficient in math versus 14.2% at Forest Park, and 25.6% are proficient in science versus 9.3%. Morrow also exceeds district averages in 7th and 8th grade math, 8th grade science, and social studies, making it a relative bright spot in a district ranked in the bottom 20% statewide. However, Forest Park has one remarkable achievement: 80% of its Algebra I students scored proficient on the End of Course exam, far surpassing the district (31%) and state (48.1%) averages—a 32-point jump from the prior year.
Both schools face significant challenges, with chronic absenteeism at 21.1% (Morrow) and 25.2% (Forest Park), both above the state average of 17.7%. Interestingly, Forest Park actually spends more per student ($16,874 vs. $16,016) and has a better student-teacher ratio (12.8:1 vs. 14.4:1), yet performs worse academically—suggesting factors like leadership and support systems matter more than resources alone. On a positive note, both schools improved math proficiency in most grades from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with Forest Park gaining 7.1 points in 7th grade math. English Language Arts scores for the current year are pending release; in the most recent available data, Morrow (20-23% proficient) outpaced Forest Park (10-15%), though both trail state averages.
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