Summary:
Zip code 30535, encompassing Demorest, Georgia, is home to a single middle school, Hilliard A. Wilbanks Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 within the Habersham County School District.
For parents, the standout feature of Hilliard A. Wilbanks Middle School is its exceptional Algebra I program. In the most recent school year, 97.7% of students scored proficient or better on the End of Course exam, a rate that is nearly double the district average and more than double the state average. The prior year, the school achieved a perfect 100% proficiency rate. This is a remarkable achievement, especially considering that 92.4% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, a high economic disadvantage rate. The school also outperforms the state average in 8th-grade Science and Social Studies, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 13.2% is well below the state's 17.7%. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.8:1, the school appears to allocate resources effectively toward instruction.
However, the data also reveals areas of concern. While the school has maintained a stable state ranking in the upper third of Georgia middle schools, its most recent year shows a slight dip. More notably, 8th-grade scores saw significant year-over-year declines across Mathematics (-10.7 points), Science (-10.4 points), and Social Studies (-5.0 points), suggesting a potential issue specific to that cohort. Additionally, the school consistently trails its district peers in most general education subjects, such as 6th-grade math and 8th-grade science, though it dramatically exceeds them in Algebra I. This mixed picture suggests that while the school has a strong foundation and excels in specific areas, the current 8th-grade class may need targeted support to address the recent declines and maintain the school's overall positive trajectory.
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