Summary:
Zip code 31070, encompassing Pinehurst, Georgia, is home to a single middle school, Dooly County Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with 229 students in the Dooly County district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Dooly County Middle School is showing real signs of progress, especially in math. Proficiency rates in mathematics improved dramatically across all grade levels from the 2024-2025 to the 2025-2026 school year, with 6th grade jumping from 9% to 18.5%, 7th grade from 17.9% to 27%, and 8th grade from 7.7% to 18.3%. This near-doubling of scores suggests that recent instructional efforts may be paying off. However, the school still trails state averages by roughly 15 to 28 percentage points in every subject, with the largest gap in 8th grade math. Science proficiency (12.2%) and social studies (15.9%) also remain well below state levels, and social studies actually declined sharply from 26.9% the previous year. The school has improved its state ranking for three consecutive years, moving from the 9th percentile to the 18th percentile, though it remains in the bottom fifth of Georgia middle schools.
Beyond test scores, families should be aware of several key factors. The school serves an exclusively low-income population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern at 26.3%, well above the state average of 17.7%, and likely hinders academic progress. On a positive note, the school invests heavily in its students, spending $22,006 per pupil and maintaining a favorable 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio. Despite these resources, outcomes remain below state averages, indicating that challenges related to poverty and attendance play a major role. Since the school's scores closely mirror district averages, these are systemic issues affecting the entire Dooly County district rather than problems unique to this school.
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