Freedom Middle School, Canton GA

Original Research by School Decision on Freedom Middle School

Freedom Middle School is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight in Canton, a fast-growing small city that functions as the seat of Cherokee County in northwest Georgia. The school enrolls a student body of about typical size for its grade band, with enrollment relatively balanced across the three grades. The student population reflects Canton's growing but still-majority-white demographics: roughly two-thirds white students, with substantial Hispanic and Black enrollment and smaller Asian and multiracial populations. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a moderately mixed socioeconomic setting.

On state end-of-grade assessments administered in 2024-25, Freedom's results show a mixed academic picture. In math, proficiency rises markedly from grade six through grade eight, starting at around the midpoint in the younger grades and reaching a notably stronger performance by eighth grade, where the majority of students demonstrate proficiency. Reading and language arts proficiency hovers around the half-mark across the school, with a dip in eighth grade that parents may want to look into further with the school. Science proficiency at the eighth-grade level sits below half. Social studies proficiency at eighth grade reaches a modest majority. Across all tested subjects and grades, Freedom's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Cherokee County's districts, putting it in the stronger position relative to its peer schools in the county.

The school sits on Bells Ferry Road in the Canton area, a location that reflects broader Cherokee County development patterns. Canton itself has experienced rapid growth, particularly through master-planned residential communities and adaptive reuse of historic downtown and mill buildings. Housing values in the area are above the state median and have appreciated steadily. The city has invested in downtown revitalization, parks, and trails, though most of the county remains car-dependent and oriented toward I-575. The Cherokee County school district has navigated several recent policy shifts: voters approved an expanded homestead property tax exemption for seniors and disabled residents in 2024, the district opted out of a statewide homestead exemption cap in 2025, and a new district cellphone and dress code policy took effect in 2024. Property tax considerations and school funding implications from referenda and exemptions are live issues in the community.

Neither special education enrollment rates nor English learner enrollment counts were reported in available data. One year of assessment data limits any trend analysis. Freedom Middle School's eighth-grade math performance and overall county-level positioning represent its strongest academic indicators, while reading comprehension and science performance in the middle grades warrant attention from families considering enrollment or student placement in particular subject areas.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 50% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 55% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 62% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 51% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 53% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 49% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median

Science

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 40% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 55% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median

This schoolCherokee County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income57%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income34%Higher-income57%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income61%25 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income35%Higher-income59%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income59%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income61%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income74%24 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income37%Higher-income64%27 pp gap