Worth County Middle School, Sylvester GA

Original Research by School Decision on Worth County Middle School

Worth County Middle School serves grades six through eight in Sylvester, a small agricultural county seat in Southwest Georgia. The school enrolls a student body that is roughly evenly split between white and Black students, with most students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. A substantial majority of the enrollment comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, reflecting the rural, agriculture-centered economy of the region.

Academic proficiency at Worth County Middle School is significantly below state benchmarks across all tested subjects. In math, proficiency ranges from roughly one quarter to just over one half depending on grade level, with eighth graders performing better than sixth and seventh graders. English language arts results are similarly below state norms, hovering in the low to high thirties across grades. Science proficiency in eighth grade sits well below state average, as does social studies. The school's overall proficiency average across subjects falls in the low to mid range, and because Worth County is the only district in the county, no comparison to neighboring districts is available. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to remediation and support for struggling students, and what specific interventions are in place to raise proficiency in the lower-performing grades and subjects.

The school sits on N. Isabella Street in Sylvester, a mile south of the town's historic downtown core, and serves as the middle level of a four-school district that also operates a primary school (K-2), an elementary school (3-5), and a high school. Dual enrollment pathways run through Southern Regional Technical College, a campus located in Sylvester. The district relies on a sales tax mechanism rather than property taxes to fund capital projects, a recurring local funding choice that shapes what resources flow to facilities and equipment.

Sylvester itself is experiencing growth momentum after years of stagnation. A downtown revival is underway, with new jobs and development activity reported as heading to Worth County, though empty storefronts still dot parts of Main Street and local employers report difficulty finding workers. The city is investing in affordable housing, with new downtown apartments recently constructed. Housing values in the zip code are below both state and national medians, and mortgage affordability metrics are favorable relative to national benchmarks, making this a lower-cost housing market. Employment anchors include Peter Pan Peanut Butter, where every jar is manufactured locally; the school system itself; county government; a 25-bed hospital; and agriculture and agribusiness. Many residents commute to job centers in Albany, about 19 miles away.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 34%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 26% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 54% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 29% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median

Science

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 23% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 27% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median

This schoolWorth 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.