The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Judson Price Middle School
Judson Price Middle School serves grades six through eight in Atlanta and sits in a district navigating significant change. The school enrolls a small cohort of roughly that size for its grade band, with a student body that is almost entirely Black and Hispanic, and the complete enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is located in southeast Atlanta's 30315 zip code, an area where median home values have declined year-over-year and where rents remain modest by metro standards.
The most pressing reality here is academic performance. State test data from 2024-2025 shows proficiency rates that are extremely low across all subjects and grade levels. In mathematics, proficiency sits in single digits across the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. English language arts proficiency is similarly weak. Eighth-grade science proficiency is below one in ten students. Social studies proficiency for eighth graders falls to near zero. These figures place Judson Price at the bottom quartile of Fulton County school districts on overall proficiency. A parent considering this school should understand clearly that students are not meeting grade-level standards in core academics at any meaningful scale. The school itself does not report trend data across multiple years, so it is not yet possible to see whether the school has momentum or whether these results reflect a persistent condition.
The district context adds urgency. Atlanta Public Schools unanimously approved a sweeping restructuring plan in December 2025 that will close, merge, or repurpose sixteen schools beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. Closures are concentrated in historically Black neighborhoods in northwest and southwest Atlanta, which is the demographic and geographic profile Judson Price serves. While Judson Price is not explicitly named in the publicly reported closure list, families should speak directly with the school and district to understand whether this facility is at risk of closure or boundary reassignment in the next two to three years, as this would alter everything about enrollment stability and peer transition.
The district has moved on literacy instruction. APS launched a science of reading approach called Readers are Leaders, now districtwide at elementary schools with expansion planned into middle school. This signals a shift in how reading is taught, and it may eventually reach Judson Price's sixth-grade cohort, though implementation timelines in middle schools have not been publicly detailed. The district has also brought school nutrition in-house starting in 2024-2025, so families eating school meals will see a change in food sourcing and preparation.
From a family housing perspective, the southeast Atlanta area around the school reflects broader affordability patterns. Home values in the 30315 zip have declined, and rental costs remain below the metro average, making the neighborhood accessible to families on tighter budgets. That said, the broader Atlanta metro is in a rapid growth phase driven by the BeltLine and downtown redevelopment, though most new housing is concentrated in intown infill neighborhoods farther north and west, not in southeast Atlanta where this school sits.
A family considering Judson Price needs to act on two fronts in parallel. First, meet directly with the school about its academic support systems, recovery plans, and any available tutoring or intervention pathways, given the scale of the proficiency gap. Second, contact the district to understand whether Judson Price is slated for closure or significant boundary change under APS Forward, as that will shape whether this is a stable enrollment choice. The school may serve families who are geographically tied to the area or who have specific reasons to stay, but the academic results and district uncertainty warrant thorough, grounded conversation before enrollment.
See more original research from School Decision →