Westside Middle School, Rocky Face GA

Original Research by School Decision on Westside Middle School

Westside Middle School serves a small enrollment of mainly sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in Rocky Face, an unincorporated community in Whitfield County in northwest Georgia immediately west of Dalton. The school sits on a separated campus along a county road rather than in a town center; Rocky Face itself has no downtown or separate local government and functions as a residential suburb of Dalton, the county seat.

The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic minority and very small numbers of other groups represented. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a base of family economic need that reflects the broader manufacturing-driven labor market of the region. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations were not available.

On state end-of-grade assessments, Westside's results show mixed performance. In math, proficiency climbs as students move from sixth to eighth grade, starting at less than half of students proficient in sixth grade and reaching a stronger share by eighth grade. English/Language Arts holds relatively steady across all three grades, with roughly half of students meeting proficiency at each level. Science proficiency in eighth grade sits well below half, and social studies proficiency is notably low, with fewer than four in ten eighth graders proficient. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of Whitfield County districts, though this reflects comparison to other schools in a small county rather than a statewide ranking. Only one year of assessment data is available, so trend information is not yet possible.

The school's context includes ongoing capital investment in the district. Voters approved a five-year education sales tax in 2022 that is funding renovations and upgrades across Whitfield County Schools, including improvements to eight elementary schools and one middle school, along with HVAC, roof, athletic field, and safety upgrades. Westside Middle itself is not listed among the renovation-priority schools, though it will receive district-wide energy and safety improvements. The district also recently opened two replacement middle schools at other locations, Valley Point and North Whitfield, with modern secure-entry systems and shared recreation amenities. Property taxes in the district have risen in recent years after holding steady for a decade, and families should be aware that Whitfield County is in an active growth and expansion phase driven by manufacturing investment, which is reshaping housing and the local labor market.

The school is small enough that a parent can know its culture readily, and its results on state tests show students making academic progress as they move through grades, particularly in math. Science and social studies proficiency rates warrant attention, and a parent may want to look into the school's specific supports in those subjects and whether specialized instruction is available. A parent should also ask the school directly about its programs, course offerings, and approach to the students scoring below proficiency, as this data does not address teaching methods or student support services.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 37% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 41% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 50% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 41% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 34% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 38% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median

Science

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 30% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 31% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median

This schoolWhitfield 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-income40%Higher-income73%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income64%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income53%Higher-income83%31 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income44%Higher-income73%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income70%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income56%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income68%Higher-income89%21 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income48%Higher-income70%22 pp gap