Arthur Williams Middle School, Jesup GA

Original Research by School Decision on Arthur Williams Middle School

Arthur Williams Middle School is a public school serving grades six through eight in Jesup, a small county seat in southeast Georgia where forest products and a federal prison shape the local economy. The enrollment is small, drawing students from a working-class community where the majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, proficiency rates are low across all tested subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from a low in seventh grade to a higher mark in eighth grade, with sixth grade in between. English language arts proficiency is comparable, with seventh grade showing the lowest performance and eighth grade improving slightly. Eighth grade science proficiency falls notably short, and social studies proficiency on the eighth grade assessment is the weakest area across all results reported. The school's state testing results put it well below the midpoint of typical proficiency benchmarks and suggest students are struggling to meet grade-level standards in core academics. A parent considering this school should look closely at the supports available for students who are falling behind and ask the school directly about intervention strategies and any tutoring or remedial programs in place.

The school's student body is majority white, with substantial Black and Hispanic enrollment and a smaller Asian population. About three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the community. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available. The school itself is a regular public school, not a magnet or charter, housed in a standard middle school setting on a state highway on the south side of town.

Jesup itself is a historic railroad town with an active downtown core centered on the restored Amtrak depot and the Romanesque courthouse, though the immediate character is working-class and shaped by through-traffic on US highways and frequent freight rail. Growth in the area is modest and consists mainly of new-construction subdivisions on the edges. Recent district investment, approved by voters through an ESPLOST renewal, is funding facility upgrades at the high school including a new agriculture facility, JROTC facility, and track. That kind of infrastructure commitment, even if it benefits older students first, can signal a district's intent to invest in school facilities over time.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 40% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 32% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 36% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 39% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 731%

School 31% · District 33% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 33% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Science

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 23% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 29% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median

This schoolWayne 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.