The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Social studies. The lowest is 26% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Garrett Middle School
Garrett Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders in the Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community School District, one of four districts in DeKalb County. The school sits in the small city of Garrett, a railroad town that grew up around the Baltimore and Ohio line. The campus is consolidated with the high school, and a major expansion of the high school completed in recent years reflects the district’s investment in its facilities. The school building itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it serves the grades typical of a middle school.
Academically, state assessment results from the ILEARN exams place the school behind most of its county peers. The overall proficiency rate across math, English language arts, and science sits below the midpoint when compared with other DeKalb County districts. In math and ELA, roughly a quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above; in science, about three in ten did. These figures are lower than the county median and suggest that a parent who values strong standardized test performance may want to talk with the school about academic supports and curriculum. The school’s participation rate on the assessments was nearly universal, so the results reflect the whole tested population. Social studies data is from an older test and not directly comparable, so it is not included in this picture.
Enrollment is evenly distributed across the three grades, and the school is relatively small for a middle school. A substantial share of students – more than half – qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the student body comes from families with moderate to low household incomes. The student population is overwhelmingly white, with small numbers of Hispanic, multiracial, and other racial groups represented. No data is available on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent seeking information about special education services or language support would need to ask the school directly.
The city of Garrett itself has a mix of residential and industrial character. It was founded as a railroad town and still uses the Railroaders mascot for its schools. The city has seen modest population growth and is noted as a leader in the county for new home construction. The median household income in Garrett is below the national median, and the poverty rate is around the national average for a city of its size. Housing values in the area are modest – lower than both the state and national benchmarks – which may be a draw for families looking for affordability. The city offers a few civic amenities: an outdoor pool, several parks, a public library, and a recreation center run by the YMCA that includes a pool, fitness room, and after-school programs. The historic downtown has a traditional street grid, but specific walkability scores were not found in searches. The school campus is separate from the downtown core.
The school district itself has not reported any recent major changes – no new referenda, curriculum updates, or property tax shifts of lasting impact were found in publicly available information. That means a parent would need to look at the district’s own communications for current priorities. Programs such as advanced courses, electives, or interventions are not listed in the data, so the range of offerings at the middle school level is not clear from this profile.
For a family considering Garrett Middle School, the academic picture is one that warrants a conversation with the school about how it supports students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks. The school serves a community where many families have limited economic resources, and it operates in a stable, small-town setting with affordable housing. The lack of available data on discipline, attendance, and staffing means a parent should also ask those questions directly. The school fits a family who values a small, consolidated campus in a growing but modestly priced town and who wants to understand the school’s approach to raising student achievement.
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