Summary:
Zip code 30830, serving the Waynesboro, Georgia area, is home to just one middle school, Burke County Middle School, which educates students in grades 6 through 8 within the Burke County school district.
Burke County Middle School presents a striking contrast in academic performance. The school excels in advanced coursework, with an Algebra I End of Course proficiency rate of 70.4% in 2025–2026, far exceeding the state average of 48.1%, and a remarkable 95% proficiency rate the previous year. Similarly, 8th graders taking High School Physical Science posted a 71.5% proficiency rate, outpacing the state by over 10 points. However, proficiency in standard grade-level subjects lags significantly, with 6th-grade math at 19.6%, 8th-grade science at 9.4%, and 8th-grade social studies at 14.1%—all 20 to 26 points below state averages. This suggests the school is highly effective at supporting its advanced students while the majority of learners in traditional classes struggle to meet state benchmarks.
The school serves a very high-poverty population, with 98.79% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and faces a chronic absenteeism rate of 26.5%, well above the state's 17.7%. Despite spending a substantial $19,588 per student and maintaining a favorable 11.7:1 student-teacher ratio, overall results remain modest, and the school's state ranking has slipped from the 24th to the 21st percentile over three years. Because it is the only middle school in the district, its scores are identical to district averages in most subjects. English Language Arts scores for 2025–2026 are not yet available and will be released in December, which will be important for completing the picture of this school's performance.
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