The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in Math. The lowest is 16% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Freedom Middle School
Freedom Middle School serves students in grades six through eight in Stone Mountain, a small and diverse suburb west of Atlanta that has undergone renewal in recent years. The school draws its enrollment from a broad catchment area and all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with substantial representation from Black and Asian students and smaller shares of Hispanic, white, and other groups.
The school's recent state assessment results show low proficiency across tested subjects. In math, proficiency rates increase slightly from sixth to eighth grade but remain in the low range overall. English language arts proficiency hovers around one-fifth of students at sixth and seventh grades, rising modestly in eighth grade. In eighth-grade science and social studies, proficiency rates fall below that baseline, with social studies showing particularly low results. These numbers indicate that most students are not meeting grade-level standards in core academic areas, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about intervention supports, tutoring programs, and the strategies in place to help students close proficiency gaps.
The school sits within DeKalb County School District, which faces significant structural challenges. The district launched a Student Assignment Project in 2024 to address capacity issues by potentially closing or consolidating dozens of schools over the coming years. An initial proposal flagged many buildings for possible closure, though revised scenarios have followed. A final recommendation to the Board of Education is expected in December, making the future of individual schools and attendance boundaries uncertain. Families considering Stone Mountain should be aware that school assignments and facility plans in the district remain in flux. Concurrently, the district is pursuing capital improvements through E-SPLOST VI funding (a local sales tax approved in 2021), which will bring new school facilities and program conversions, including a new Cross Keys High School and specialized academies. Property tax rates have been rolled back for three consecutive years, though rising home values have offset those cuts for many homeowners, keeping actual tax bills elevated.
Stone Mountain itself is a walkable, small city with a revitalized downtown core along Main Street, anchored by historic early-twentieth-century architecture now housing shops and restaurants. The area benefits from proximity to Stone Mountain Park, Georgia's most-visited state attraction, and is connected by the PATH trail and MARTA bus service. Housing costs in the zip code are below the state median but have declined modestly over the past year. The broader Stone Mountain area continues to see new residential development, including build-to-rent communities, townhomes, and senior housing, alongside public investment in transitional housing by the Housing Authority.
Freedom Middle School is a regular public school with no specialized magnet or charter designation. It enrolls students of typical middle-school age for the region. State testing data was the primary source available to assess academic performance; information about programs, staffing, discipline, attendance, and special populations was not provided in this data set, so a family seeking a fuller picture of school operations would benefit from direct contact with the school to learn about course offerings, teacher qualifications, counseling services, and other operational details. The combination of low proficiency results and the ongoing uncertainty around district consolidation plans suggests that families should engage directly with the school and district to understand both current academic supports and longer-term facility and assignment changes.
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