Fairplay Middle School, Douglasville GA

Original Research by School Decision on Fairplay Middle School

Fairplay Middle School serves grades six through eight in Douglasville, a growing suburban city west of Atlanta. The school's enrollment is modest for a public middle school in its region, split roughly evenly across the three grade levels. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body reflects Douglasville's demographics: a white majority, with substantial Black and Hispanic populations and a small Asian contingent.

The school's academic profile shows mixed results. In mathematics, proficiency ranges widely by grade. Sixth graders achieve a moderate rate, seventh graders show a notably lower rate, and eighth graders perform considerably better, reaching above the midpoint. English language arts proficiency is relatively consistent across the three grades, holding in the moderate range, with seventh grade slightly stronger. Science and social studies testing occur only in eighth grade at this school; science proficiency is moderate while social studies is below moderate.

When proficiency rates are averaged across all tested subjects and grades, Fairplay ranks in the top quartile among Douglas County's three school districts on this overall measure. This positioning is meaningful, as it indicates the school's performance exceeds the county median. A parent reviewing these numbers may want to look further into what accounts for the variance between grade levels in math, and what instructional supports exist for grades where proficiency lags.

Fairplay sits on Highway 166 in Douglasville, in a suburban landscape of dispersed schools rather than an urban school-downtown nexus. The city itself has a preserved historic downtown with shops and civic institutions, but the school campuses across Douglas County are generally situated away from that core. Douglasville is on a growth trajectory with significant new residential development, though the housing market in the area has softened modestly from prior peaks. Monthly rent for a typical home is in the low-2000s range, and home prices have dipped slightly year-over-year, making the market somewhat more accessible than national benchmarks.

The Douglas County School System continues to invest in facilities through a voter-approved education sales tax, with a major replacement high school project underway. The district has also reduced its millage rate repeatedly while property assessments have risen, a dynamic that affects school-tax calculations for families considering the area.

Fairplay is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. Data on special education enrollment, English learners, staff size, course offerings, and attendance were not available in the provided information. The school's recent state assessment results represent a single year, so trend comparisons are not yet possible.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 25% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 28% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 36% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 35% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 36% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 35% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

Science

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 35% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 34% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median

This schoolDouglas 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-income45%Higher-income68%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income65%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income64%27 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income41%Higher-income66%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income55%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income51%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income57%23 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income31%Higher-income55%24 pp gap