Gladden Middle School

Gladden Middle School is a middle-grades school of compact scale in Chatsworth, Georgia, part of Murray County, instructing 478 students in grades 7 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 37% leaner than the state mean of about 763.

Across the 11 schools in Murray County (6,585 students total), Gladden Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Gladden Middle School logs that White students make up the majority at 65%; the rest looks like 31% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 84% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, On paper, Gladden Middle School has 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.8:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

With demographic context factored in, Gladden Middle School sits in the top 10% of Georgia schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 25.7%; actual is 41.5%, +15.8 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Murray County indicate median household income runs about $69,253, about 15% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. Gladden Middle School is one of 11 public schools in Murray County (combined enrollment of about 6,585 students).

Murray County High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Gladden Middle School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Gladden Middle School ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 32.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Gladden Middle School's enrollment has declined 19% since 2018, when it stood at 588 (now 478). The White share of enrollment decreased from 73% to 65% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 16.9:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.