Summary:
Zip code 31719 in Americus, Georgia, is served by two middle schools within the Sumter County district, together educating roughly 1,260 students in grades 4 through 8, with every student qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
Sumter County Intermediate School (grades 4-6) and Sumter County Middle School (grades 7-8) face significant academic hurdles, with proficiency rates in most subjects running 20 to 35 percentage points below state averages. The most striking issue is a dramatic drop in math proficiency between 6th and 7th grade: 6th graders hit 18.2% proficiency, but 7th graders plummet to just 6.1% — the lowest rate in the entire dataset and nearly 36 points below the state. This suggests a challenging transition between the two schools. However, there is a bright spot: 6th grade math improved by 10.3 points year-over-year (from 7.9% to 18.2%), the largest single-year gain recorded. Science is also a relative strength, especially in 8th grade, where the gap versus the state narrows to just 10.3 points (19.4% vs. 29.7%).
Both schools spend about $15,200 per student — above the national average — yet outcomes remain in the bottom tier of Georgia schools, with Sumter County Middle School ranked in the 11th-12th percentile for three consecutive years. Chronic absenteeism is actually below the state average (10.5% at the intermediate school, 15.1% at the middle school, versus 17.7% statewide), meaning students are attending but still struggling. A consistent pattern shows math proficiency declining as students advance: from 23.9% in 4th grade down to 6.1% in 7th grade before a slight uptick to 11.8% in 8th grade. For parents, the key takeaway is that while both schools face serious challenges, the intermediate school shows signs of improvement, and the middle school's 7th grade math performance warrants particular attention.
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