Summary:
Zip code 39823, serving the Blakely, Georgia area, contains just one middle school, Early County Middle School, which serves grades 7 and 8 with an enrollment of 218 students.
Early County Middle School is the sole middle school in the Early County district, meaning its scores are identical to the district's in every subject. The school has seen a concerning three-year decline in its state ranking, falling from the 14th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 6th percentile in 2025–2026, and losing its 1-star rating. The most dramatic drop came in 8th grade math, where proficiency fell from 26.9% to 16.2% year-over-year. Other subjects also declined, with 7th grade math at 8.2% and 8th grade science at 9.6% proficiency. The only bright spot was 8th grade social studies, which improved from 5.6% to 8.6%, though it remains far below the state average of 40.2%. Across all subjects, the school trails state averages by 20 to 34 percentage points.
Despite these low outcomes, the school benefits from a very low student-teacher ratio of 7.6:1 and spends a substantial $20,686 per student—well above typical Georgia levels. However, 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism sits at 21.9%, above the state average of 17.7%. These factors suggest that while the school has resources and small class sizes, high poverty and attendance challenges may be undermining academic progress. English Language Arts scores from 2024–2025 (19.1% for 7th grade, 18.5% for 8th grade) were relatively stronger than math and science, though still below state averages. The upcoming ELA release in December will be critical to determine whether the school's struggles are subject-specific or systemic.
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