The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Liberation Academy
Liberation Academy is a charter middle school that opened in August 2023 in College Park, serving grades five through eight with a statewide attendance zone. That means any student in Georgia can apply, making it a durable choice for families across the region rather than a school limited to local enrollment. The school's charter explicitly centers on Problem-Based Learning with cultural relevancy, computer science and coding courses, and extended instructional time in English language arts and math, a STEAM-focused, project-based pedagogy that is less common in Atlanta-area middle schools.
The school is very young, with enrollment still building as it grows one grade per year toward its full span. The current enrollment is small, and the student body is predominantly Black. Income-eligible enrollment data shows the school serves families qualifying for free or reduced lunch, sustaining its mission as a tuition-free option for lower-income households in the College Park area.
The state testing results from 2024-25 are concerning. Proficiency in mathematics is extremely low across all tested grades, with students demonstrating proficiency well below the state's expected standard. English language arts proficiency is higher than math but still weak, with roughly a quarter of fifth graders showing proficiency and even lower rates in sixth and seventh grades. Science proficiency is also very low. Across all tested subjects, the school sits below the midpoint of proficiency compared to other districts in Fulton County. This is a new school with a young population, and initial test results do not yet reflect the impact of the school's designed curriculum and pedagogy, but the gap between proficiency rates and county norms is substantial. A parent may want to understand directly from the school what early-literacy and numeracy supports are in place, what the trajectory of growth looks like across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, and how the Problem-Based Learning model is being implemented in service of grade-level standards.
The school occupies an area in rapid growth. College Park is a mixed-character city on Atlanta's southern edge that combines a historic residential core of early-20th-century homes, walkable downtown Main Street with locally owned restaurants and shops, and major airport-adjacent commercial and logistics infrastructure tied to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Georgia International Convention Center. The city is actively redeveloping: it reacquired land once bought under FAA noise-abatement programs and announced major mixed-use redevelopment as "Airport City." New mid-rise apartments and hotels have been built in recent years, and many housing developments are in progress. Housing values in the zip code are below the state benchmark, and rents have declined slightly year-over-year, reflecting both the growth phase and the economy's affordability pressures. The MARTA rail system connects College Park to Atlanta, and a free transit system links the Gateway Center to the airport.
For a family weighing a move to the area or considering school choice within Georgia, Liberation Academy presents a distinctive curriculum commitment at the middle school level, a tuition-free access point, and a young school still establishing its track record. The initial academic results warrant direct conversation with school leadership about instructional intensity, support structures, and expected growth timelines before enrollment.
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