Bagley Middle School, Chatsworth GA

Original Research by School Decision on Bagley Middle School

Bagley Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in Chatsworth, a small county-seat city in northwestern Georgia's Murray County. The school enrolls a solid student population for its grade band, drawn largely from surrounding residential neighborhoods and rural areas.

The school's student body reflects the county's demographics. A large majority of students are white, with a meaningful Hispanic population. More than three quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling that the school serves a community with limited economic resources. Specific counts of students receiving special education or English learner support were not available, so parents looking for detail on those services may want to check with the school directly.

On state assessments administered in 2024-25, Bagley's proficiency rates show particular challenge in foundational math and reading. Seventh-grade math proficiency was well below the state midpoint, while eighth-grade math improved but remained below half of students meeting the bar. English language arts proficiency held steady across both grades at levels just under two in five students. Eighth-grade science and social studies proficiency hovered in the low to mid-40s percent range. The school has only one year of recent test data available, so trend direction cannot yet be assessed. For a parent considering this school or weighing its performance, these numbers warrant conversation with the school about curriculum, tutoring, and support services aimed at bringing more students to proficiency, particularly in math. The early- and mid-year gaps suggest that without intervention, fewer students will reach grade-level standards by the time they move to high school.

Chatsworth itself is a growing small city, home to manufacturing (flooring and carpet production), healthcare anchored by AdventHealth Murray hospital, and a modest downtown with civic gathering space. Housing values are below state average, making homeownership accessible to working families. The city is car-dependent; a small downtown core hosts city hall, park space with an amphitheater for summer concerts, and a public library, but most commercial and residential life spreads across a suburban pattern. Fort Mountain State Park, a major outdoor recreation hub with hiking and camping, sits about seven miles east.

The Murray County school district approved a five-year capital improvement program in 2023, funding upgrades to high school facilities, an elementary school addition, and athletic infrastructure. In 2025 the district also reduced the school property tax rate for the first time in over two decades, a shift that lowers the tax burden on homeowners. These changes shape the district's financial and physical trajectory as families plan ahead.

A parent considering Bagley should weigh its location as the district's second middle school serving the county's central and eastern neighborhoods, its strong enrollment relative to its grade band, and the fact that its students are predominantly from local working families. The proficiency numbers indicate the school is currently working well below state and national benchmarks across subjects, a reality that ought to prompt direct questions about remediation, instructional approach, and school-level supports before enrollment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 44% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 36% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 35% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Science

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 40% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 35% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

This schoolMurray 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 7Lower-income31%Higher-income57%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income50%9 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income37%Higher-income54%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income55%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income55%19 pp gap

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