Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 31705

Middle schools in zip code 31705 (Albany, GA) serve grades 6-8 across two schools—Albany Middle School and Radium Springs Middle School—both part of the Dougherty County district, which ranks in the bottom third of Georgia districts, and both schools serve student bodies where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Albany Middle School is the clear standout in this area. It has improved its state ranking for three straight years, moving from the 18th to the 28th percentile, and shows a remarkable upward trend in math as students advance: proficiency jumps from 11.8% in 6th grade to 36.7% in 8th grade—nearly five times higher than Radium Springs Middle School's 8th grade math rate of 7.5%. Albany Middle also exceeds the state average in 8th grade science (29.9% vs. 29.7%), the only subject where either school meets that benchmark. By contrast, Radium Springs ranks in the bottom 4% of Georgia middle schools and has stayed there for three years, with proficiency rates stuck between 6.8% and 9.4% across every subject and grade level—a sign of systemic challenges rather than subject-specific issues.

Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern at both schools, with rates of 31.8% at Albany Middle and 37.4% at Radium Springs—both far above the state average of 17.7%. Interestingly, Radium Springs actually spends more per student ($16,504 vs. $14,652) and has a better student-teacher ratio (13.9:1 vs. 15.5:1), yet achieves far worse outcomes, suggesting that factors like school culture and instructional quality matter more than resources alone. For parents, Albany Middle School offers a more promising trajectory, particularly in upper-grade math and science, while Radium Springs faces deeper, more uniform struggles that will likely require significant intervention to overcome.