Summary:
There are three middle schools serving grades 6-8 in zip code 30680 (Winder, GA), all part of the Barrow County School District, which ranks in the middle of Georgia districts with a 3-star rating.
Haymon-Morris Middle School is the clear academic leader in this area, showing remarkable improvement over the past two years by jumping from the 52nd to the 67th percentile in state rankings. It outperforms its peers in nearly every subject, particularly in 7th-grade math (46.3% proficient vs. 34.3% at Russell Middle School and 31.6% at Westside Middle School). Haymon-Morris also excels in advanced coursework, with 93.4% proficiency in Algebra I and 94.1% in HS Physical Science—nearly double the state averages. Russell Middle School offers consistency, maintaining stable rankings around the 56th percentile, and posts strong 8th-grade social studies scores (47.5% vs. 40.2% state average). Westside Middle School trails significantly, ranking in the 38th percentile with the lowest proficiency rates across all subjects, including just 22.8% in 8th-grade science.
All three schools serve economically diverse populations, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 54% at Russell to 71% at Westside. Notably, Westside receives the highest per-student funding ($13,129) and has the smallest class sizes (13.6:1), yet still struggles academically—highlighting that resources alone don't guarantee results. Chronic absenteeism appears to be a key factor, as Westside's 20% rate far exceeds Russell's 12.8% and Haymon-Morris's 14.7%. Encouragingly, all three schools showed improvement in 6th-grade math this year, with Westside making a dramatic 16.8-point gain. Parents should note that while Haymon-Morris is the strongest overall choice, all three schools offer strong advanced coursework programs that far exceed state averages.
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