Summary:
Zip code 39842, serving the Dawson, Georgia area, is home to just one middle school: Terrell Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 within the Terrell County school district.
Terrell Middle School is a small school with 215 students, and every single one of them qualifies for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a student body facing significant economic challenges. The school spends a substantial $22,045 per student and maintains a favorable 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio, yet academic outcomes are critically low. In the most recent testing year, math proficiency ranged from just 7.6% in 6th grade to 8.8% in 8th grade, while only 4.4% of 8th graders were proficient in science and 4.5% in social studies—all far below state averages by 25 to 37 percentage points. The school's state ranking has plummeted from the 12th-13th percentile in prior years to the 3rd percentile this year, earning zero stars. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, with 21.8% of students missing enough school to disrupt learning, compared to 17.7% statewide.
There is some relative strength in English Language Arts from the prior year's data, with 6th and 8th grade proficiency rates around 28-30%, though 7th grade lagged at just 13%. However, math scores declined sharply across most grades, with 8th grade dropping from 18.4% to 8.8% proficiency. The school's scores are identical to the district's in every subject, confirming it is the only middle school in the district. Despite high spending and small class sizes, the combination of universal poverty, elevated absenteeism, and a steep downward trajectory in rankings suggests Terrell Middle School is in urgent need of targeted intervention. The upcoming ELA scores, due in December, will provide additional clarity on whether these trends are continuing.
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