Summary:
Zip code 31820 in Midland, Georgia, is served by two middle schools—Aaron Cohn Middle School and Midland Middle School—both part of the Muscogee County district, which ranks in the bottom quarter of Georgia districts. These schools serve grades 6 through 8 and together enroll roughly 980 students, but they offer vastly different academic experiences.
Aaron Cohn Middle School is the clear standout, ranking in the 66th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating. It outperforms its district and state averages across nearly every subject, with particularly strong results in advanced coursework—100% proficiency in Algebra I and 86.4% in High School Physical Science. Its chronic absenteeism rate (11.4%) is well below district and state averages, and only 53.3% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch. In contrast, Midland Middle School ranks in the 27th percentile with a 1-star rating, and its proficiency rates lag 30-40 percentage points behind Aaron Cohn in most subjects. For example, 7th grade math proficiency is 54.4% at Aaron Cohn versus just 18.4% at Midland. Midland also has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate and a chronic absenteeism rate of 26.1%—more than double Aaron Cohn’s.
Despite Midland spending more per student ($14,768 vs. $12,239) and having a better student-teacher ratio (13.8 vs. 16.6), the achievement gap persists, suggesting concentrated poverty and attendance issues are significant hurdles. Both schools struggle in 8th grade science, falling below the state average (29.7%), with Aaron Cohn at 19.5% and Midland at 14.2%. Rankings for both schools have been stable over three years, indicating this divide is entrenched. Note that ELA scores for 2025-2026 are not yet available; they will be released in December, and the most recent data shows Aaron Cohn with 47-55% proficiency versus Midland’s 25-29%.
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