North Habersham Middle School, Clarkesville GA

Original Research by School Decision on North Habersham Middle School

North Habersham Middle School enrolls a substantial share of students in grades six through eight in a school of about that size for its grade band, located in Clarkesville in the Blue Ridge foothills. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic enrollment and very limited representation of other racial groups. About half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a working-class and lower-middle-class community base.

Academically, the school shows an uneven profile across its three grades. In eighth grade, proficiency is notably higher across the board: about four-fifths in math, roughly three-fifths in English language arts, and strong performance in both science and social studies. Sixth and seventh grades tell a different story. In sixth-grade math and English language arts, proficiency is just under half. Seventh-grade English language arts is even weaker, at roughly mid-range proficiency, though seventh-grade math rises slightly. This pattern suggests either that students improve considerably as they move through the school, or that eighth graders represent a different cohort altogether; a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether there are specific interventions in place for the younger grades or whether the pattern reflects how students entering middle school from elementary are progressing.

The school's strongest results are in eighth-grade math, where proficiency is high, and science and social studies in eighth grade, both of which show solid proficiency. The softer results across the sixth and seventh grades in language arts and math are areas where the school is working with students who have room to grow, and the uplift by eighth grade suggests the school has some capacity to move students toward proficiency, at least by the end of middle school.

The immediate community of Clarkesville is a small county seat in active growth. Housing values reflect a modest regional market, with new subdivisions and townhome development underway. The downtown has a walkable historic core with antiques, dining, and galleries centered on Washington Street, though outside that core the town is car-dependent. The broader economic context includes a mix of agricultural, manufacturing, and public-sector employment, anchored by employers like Fieldale Farms and the hospital system. The Habersham County School District has kept its property tax millage rate notably low, rolling it back most recently, and voters approved a renewed sales tax in May to fund facility upgrades and debt service rather than raising property taxes. For families considering the district, this is a meaningful signal of affordability and tax stability.

No data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, English learner enrollment, special education rates, or advanced course offerings were available in the school's reported metrics.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 45% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 47% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 63% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 43% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 40% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 46% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median

Science

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 51% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 55% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median

This schoolHabersham 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-income34%Higher-income66%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income45%Higher-income68%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income48%Higher-income74%26 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income42%Higher-income69%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income32%Higher-income67%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income65%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income62%Higher-income81%19 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income47%Higher-income71%24 pp gap