Liberty Middle School, Cumming GA

Original Research by School Decision on Liberty Middle School

Liberty Middle School is a regular public middle school in Cumming, Georgia, serving grades six through eight in an affluent, rapidly growing suburban county. The school enrolls a student body of roughly a thousand, distributed fairly evenly across its three grade levels. The racial and ethnic makeup is predominantly white, with substantial Asian and Hispanic populations and smaller Black, multiracial, and Native American communities. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a middle-income tier within an overall high-income county.

On Georgia's End of Grade assessments, Liberty's results show mixed strength. In English language arts, sixth graders show the highest proficiency, while seventh and eighth graders dip lower, with eighth grade finishing below half proficient. Math performance hovers around the half-mark across all three grades, relatively consistent. Science, tested only in eighth grade, falls below half proficient. Social studies in eighth grade is the strongest area, with just under three-fifths of students meeting the standard. The overall pattern suggests the school is meeting the proficiency target in one subject area and falling short in others, with English language arts showing a notable slide as students progress through middle school. A parent may want to ask the school directly about what supports are being put in place to address the decline in reading and math proficiency as students move from sixth to seventh grade.

Cumming, the city where Liberty is located, is a county seat and the only incorporated municipality in Forsyth County. It sits roughly 40 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta and functions as a commuter bedroom community, having transformed from a small rural town into one of metro Atlanta's fastest-growing suburbs. The city center retains a historic courthouse square with a bandstand and storefronts, now complemented by the recently completed Cumming City Center, a large mixed-use development with retail, dining, and an amphitheater. The broader county is car-dependent, though trail systems including the Big Creek Greenway offer outdoor recreation.

Forsyth County itself is notable for rapid growth and high property values. Home prices in the area are well above both state and national averages, and rental costs are climbing. The county does not have fixed public transit, and about nine in ten workers drive alone. Forsyth County Schools is the largest employer in the county. The school district has recently passed two measures of direct relevance to parents: a property tax cap on homestead assessments that will provide long-term predictability on school taxes as home values continue to rise, and approval of a continuation education sales tax to fund capital projects and keep pace with enrollment growth. The district also implemented a distraction-free education policy banning student cell phones and personal devices during the school day, including high school but with a lunch exception.

Liberty sits within a district that serves a county experiencing demographic change and ongoing enrollment pressure. The broader academic picture in the district data was not available for detailed comparison, so it is unclear how Liberty's proficiency rates position it relative to other Forsyth County middle schools. The school itself offers a straightforward middle school pathway in a growing community where both the housing market and school enrollment are under active management. For families considering the area, Liberty represents a standard public middle school in an affluent, fast-growing suburb, with reading and math results that warrant conversation with school staff about intervention and progression strategies.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 67% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 70% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 74% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 661%

School 61% · District 65% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 65% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 60% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 4% · ▲ 45 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 66% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolForsyth 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-income28%Higher-income62%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income53%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income57%30 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income27%Higher-income57%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income49%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income59%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income31%Higher-income57%26 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income26%Higher-income55%29 pp gap