Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Paulding County

This page covers 9 middle schools in Paulding County. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

9
Schools Ranked
Georgia
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 9 of 9
1
rank
East Paulding Middle School
Grades 06–08858 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
54
/100
Student:Teacher
14.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
39%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
South Paulding Middle School
Grades 06–08481 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.3:1)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
13.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
47%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
J. A. Dobbins Middle School
Grades 06–08532 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.0:1)
52
/100
Student:Teacher
13.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
61%
Near nat'l 52.2%
4
rank
Carl Scoggins Sr. Middle school
Grades 06–08760 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
51
/100
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
47%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
Irma C. Austin Middle School
Grades 06–08792 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
51%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Sammy McClure Sr. Middle School
Grades 06–081,536 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
50
/100
Student:Teacher
18.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
17%
Low economic need
7
rank
Lena Mae Moses Middle School
Grades 06–08907 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
49
/100
Student:Teacher
15.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
42%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
P. B. Ritch Middle School
Grades 06–08755 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
48
/100
Student:Teacher
15.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
60%
Near nat'l 52.2%
9
rank
Herschel Jones Middle School
Grades 06–08807 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
46
/100
Student:Teacher
15.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,294
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
61%
Near nat'l 52.2%
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
9
Middle Schools
33
Total Schools
54
#1 Score
50
Avg Score
District profilePaulding County
Top Ranked Middle School
Compare Paulding County with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.