Bear Creek Middle School

Q: Is Bear Creek Middle School a good school?

Bear Creek Middle School ranks 319 th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bear Creek Middle School is a public middle school located in Statham, Georgia, serving 673 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Barrow County School District, which is ranked 105 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Bear Creek Middle School consistently outperforms the Barrow County and Georgia state averages in Algebra I End of Course exams, with proficiency rates around 80%, the school's performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 6-8 is generally below the county and state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 18.5% to 40.1%. The school's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, from 150th out of 543 Georgia middle schools in 2017-2018 to 319th out of 588 in 2023-2024, with a 2-star rating indicating below-average performance compared to other middle schools in the state. Additionally, Bear Creek Middle School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 47.52% to 52.01% in recent years, suggesting a higher proportion of students from lower-income families.

Interestingly, nearby schools like Oconee County Middle School and Malcom Bridge Middle School, located in the neighboring Oconee County district, consistently outperform Bear Creek Middle School and the state averages across all subject areas, with proficiency rates often exceeding 60-70%. This stark difference in academic performance suggests that factors beyond just the school district, such as community demographics and resources, may be contributing to the disparities in student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

228 Jefferson St
Statham, GA 30666

(770) 867-2116

District: Barrow County

SchoolDigger Rank:
319^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,204

Students who attend Bear Creek Middle School usually attend:

High:

Apalachee High School

Feeder schools for Bear Creek Middle School:

Elementary:	Holsenbeck Elementary School
	Statham Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 742

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.6%

Hispanic:

26.3%

African American:

14.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.3%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Bear Creek Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bear Creek Middle School ranks worse than 54.3% of middle schools in Georgia. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Barrow County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.98. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Bear Creek Middle School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Barrow County School District. Student population at Bear Creek Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (49.6%), Hispanic (26.3%), African American (14.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bear Creek Middle School is 13.4, which is the 2^nd best among 4 middle schools in the Barrow County School District. (See more...)

Compare Bear Creek Middle School employs 55.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bear Creek Middle School is $9,204, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Barrow County School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bear Creek Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Bear Creek Middle School 319^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Bear Creek Middle School in the ranking list.)

Barrow County:

SchoolDigger ranks Barrow County 105^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Bear Creek Middle School?

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Rank History for Bear Creek Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	58.44	183^rd	420	56.4%
2007	46.89	278^th	445	37.5%
2008	43.33	303^rd	462	34.4%
2009	45.82	296^th	466	36.5%
2010	60.38	205^th	494	58.5%
2011	61.28	209^th	504	58.5%
2012	52.62	281^st	508	44.7%
2013	51.40	301^st	527	42.9%
2015	49.80	256^th	537	52.3%
2016	51.26	248^th	545	54.5%
2017	56.93	207^th	539	61.6%
2018	68.21	150^th	543	72.4%
2019	66.75	164^th	559	70.7%
2021	55.70	222^nd	542	59.0%
2022	43.17	306^th	567	46.0%
2023	44.16	300^th	577	48.0%
2024	42.98	319^th	588	45.7%

See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Bear Creek Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	734	734
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	602	602
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	658	658
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	686	686
1994	569	107	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	679
1995	620	102	12	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	737
1996	620	102	12	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	737
1997	653	119	18	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	797
1998	541	80	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	630
1999	535	95	11	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	648
2000	541	102	16	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	665
2001	570	92	15	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	682
2002	547	124	19	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	729
2003	547	124	19	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	729
2004	529	139	26	38	0	n/a	n/a	0	732
2005	495	148	33	47	1	n/a	n/a	22	746
2006	466	149	31	32	2	n/a	n/a	22	702
2007	468	163	35	47	1	n/a	n/a	27	741
2008	447	165	38	62	0	n/a	n/a	26	738
2009	476	139	27	66	0	n/a	n/a	29	737
2010	438	125	23	91	3	1	33	0	714
2011	484	122	23	90	2	2	46	0	769
2012	435	148	16	104	2	0	40	0	745
2013	409	146	15	111	6	0	38	0	725
2014	422	144	22	110	4	2	34	0	738
2015	437	137	34	109	4	1	39	0	761
2016	479	139	29	121	2	1	42	0	813
2017	480	139	31	126	1	0	43	0	820
2018	453	109	30	136	4	0	25	0	757
2019	441	104	30	147	2	0	27	0	751
2020	423	119	35	148	4	0	30	0	759
2021	379	103	32	145	2	0	25	0	686
2022	327	90	30	150	0	0	29	0	626
2023	332	94	26	176	2	0	43	0	673
2024	368	106	25	195	1	0	47	0	742

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bear Creek Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	734	34.0	21.5	13.6
1991	602	38.0	15.8	16.6
1992	658	35.0	18.8	24
1993	686	39.0	17.6	23.8
1994	679	45.2	15.0	24.6
1995	737	43.0	17.1	22.4
1996	737	43.0	17.1	22.4
1997	797	46.4	17.2	42.9
1998	630	41.5	15.2	45.1
1999	648	46.1	14.1	39
2000	665	46.3	14.4	34.6
2001	682	43.5	15.7	32.6
2002	729	45.2	16.1	44.7
2003	729	45.2	16.1	44.7
2004	732	47.7	15.3	43.9
2005	746	48.7	15.3	48.1
2006	702	41.8	16.8	50.7
2007	741	46.5	15.9	53.4
2008	738	48.0	15.4	56.5
2009	737	50.3	14.7	61.6
2010	714	50.0	14.2	61.3
2011	769	48.8	15.7	63.1
2012	745	48.0	15.5	62.7
2013	725	47.0	15.4	68.7
2014	738	45.0	16.4	64.4
2015	761	46.0	16.5	62.4
2016	813	53.0	15.3	60
2017	820	53.0	15.4	57.4
2018	757	50.1	15.1	55
2019	751	53.1	14.1	57.3
2020	759	52.0	14.5	57
2021	686	52.3	13.1	47.5
2022	626	48.3	12.9	n/a
2023	673	51.3	13.1	52
2024	742	55.3	13.4	64.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bear Creek Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	734	34.0	21.5	13.6
1991	602	38.0	15.8	16.6
1992	658	35.0	18.8	24
1993	686	39.0	17.6	23.8
1994	679	45.2	15.0	24.6
1995	737	43.0	17.1	22.4
1996	737	43.0	17.1	22.4
1997	797	46.4	17.2	42.9
1998	630	41.5	15.2	45.1
1999	648	46.1	14.1	39
2000	665	46.3	14.4	34.6
2001	682	43.5	15.7	32.6
2002	729	45.2	16.1	44.7
2003	729	45.2	16.1	44.7
2004	732	47.7	15.3	43.9
2005	746	48.7	15.3	48.1
2006	702	41.8	16.8	50.7
2007	741	46.5	15.9	53.4
2008	738	48.0	15.4	56.5
2009	737	50.3	14.7	61.6
2010	714	50.0	14.2	61.3
2011	769	48.8	15.7	63.1
2012	745	48.0	15.5	62.7
2013	725	47.0	15.4	68.7
2014	738	45.0	16.4	64.4
2015	761	46.0	16.5	62.4
2016	813	53.0	15.3	60
2017	820	53.0	15.4	57.4
2018	757	50.1	15.1	55
2019	751	53.1	14.1	57.3
2020	759	52.0	14.5	57
2021	686	52.3	13.1	47.5
2022	626	48.3	12.9	n/a
2023	673	51.3	13.1	52
2024	742	55.3	13.4	64.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bear Creek Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$432 (5.4%)	$7,635 (94.6%)	$8,067
2018	$495 (5.6%)	$8,326 (94.4%)	$8,821
2019	$528 (5.7%)	$8,676 (94.3%)	$9,204

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bear Creek Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 164^th of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 300^th of 577 Middle schools	22.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Bear Creek Middle School)	44.8	38.1	6.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Barrow County)	44.8	35.3	9.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bear Creek Middle School)	42.2	24.4	17.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Barrow County)	38.9	22.5	16.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Bear Creek Middle School)	43.5	30.9	12.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Barrow County)	37.7	30.4	7.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Bear Creek Middle School)	47.2	27.3	19.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Barrow County)	45.8	29.6	16.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Bear Creek Middle School)	53.6	38.1	15.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Barrow County)	47	35	12%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Bear Creek Middle School)	38.3	37.9	0.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Barrow County)	37.4	33.7	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Bear Creek Middle School)	44.9	17.1	27.8%
8th Grade Science (Barrow County)	38.8	20.2	18.6%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Bear Creek Middle School)	54.3	27.2	27.1%
8th Grade Social Studies (Barrow County)	40.1	30.9	9.2%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (Bear Creek Middle School)	97.1	85.7	11.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Barrow County)	30.2	39.8	9.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	35.8	5.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	751	673	10.4%
African American	104	94	9.6%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	30	26	13.3%
Hispanic	147	176	19.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	441	332	24.7%
Two or More Races	27	43	59.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.3%	52%	5.3%

Schools Near Bear Creek Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bear Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	228 Jefferson St	Statham	30666	Barrow County	Barrow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 867-2116	742	55	13.4	64.3%	368 (49.6%)	106 (14.3%)	195 (26.3%)	25 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.3%)	43	319^th of 588 public middle schools	45.7%		44.2	300^th of 577 public middle schools	48.0%	19	77.5	33.6	35.0	38.2	18.5	34.5	40.1	24.4	31.5	$9,204	$528	$8,676
Dove Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	7915 Hog Mountain Rd	Statham	30666	Barrow County	Oconee County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(706) 310-2017	487	32	15.0	14.2%	397 (81.5%)	18 (3.7%)	30 (6.2%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	96.9	19^th of 588 public middle schools	96.8%					(n/a)	100.0	67.9	71.2	72.5	80.2	71.8	77.1		79.1
Malcom Bridge Middle School	Public	6-8	2500 Malcom Bridge Rd	Bogart	30622	Oconee County	Oconee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 310-1992	573	44	12.9	19.4%	412 (71.9%)	21 (3.7%)	49 (8.6%)	67 (11.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.8%)	98.3	11^th of 588 public middle schools	98.1%		97.1	17^th of 577 public middle schools	97.1%	6	100.0	73.4	75.5	79.6	71.0	76.8	85.3		85.7	$7,712	$139	$7,573
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School	Public	6-8	1600 Tallassee Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7208	718	60	11.9	77.2%	108 (15.0%)	301 (41.9%)	271 (37.7%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.0%)	39.3	345^th of 588 public middle schools	41.3%		43.4	306^th of 577 public middle schools	47.0%	39	94.1	27.0	30.7	36.9	26.2	33.2	34.7		31.2	$10,345	$1,086	$9,259
Russell Middle School	Public	6-8	364 W Candler St	Winder	30680	Barrow County	Barrow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 867-8181	988	63	15.5	61.9%	484 (49.0%)	119 (12.0%)	259 (26.2%)	62 (6.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.3%)	54.2	250^th of 588 public middle schools	57.5%		47.2	281^st of 577 public middle schools	51.3%	31	65.2	40.3	35.1	47.6	26.0	32.4	41.9	32.4	40.8	$8,241	$458	$7,783
Westside Middle School	Public	6-8	240 Matthews School Rd	Winder	30680	Barrow County	Barrow County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 307-2972	744	56	13.3	74.6%	266 (35.8%)	113 (15.2%)	277 (37.2%)	34 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (7.3%)	36.4	364^th of 588 public middle schools	38.1%		30.5	403^rd of 577 public middle schools	30.2%	39	76.6	32.2	27.0	39.9	23.0	29.2	31.5	18.8	25.8	$8,515	$518	$7,997
Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Dragon Dr	Jefferson	30549	Jackson County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	No	(706) 367-2882	973	65	14.9	32.5%	745 (76.6%)	69 (7.1%)	93 (9.6%)	19 (2.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.6%)	93.9	38^th of 588 public middle schools	93.5%		94.2	36^th of 577 public middle schools	93.8%	2		63.7	67.9	67.8	67.7	72.8	74.2		58.6	$7,894	$126	$7,768
West Jackson Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Gum Springs Church Rd	Jefferson	30549	Jackson County	Jackson County	No	No	No	No	(706) 654-2775	858	56	15.4	34.7%	543 (63.3%)	75 (8.7%)	146 (17.0%)	41 (4.8%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (5.8%)	82.6	90^th of 588 public middle schools	84.7%		71.9	136^th of 577 public middle schools	76.4%	46	96.9	56.4	46.0	55.3	58.5	54.9	65.5		53.2	$8,516	$188	$8,328
Oconee County Middle School	Public	6-8	1101 Mars Hill Rd	Watkinsville	30677	Oconee County	Oconee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 769-3575	891	60	14.8	24.0%	731 (82.0%)	38 (4.3%)	56 (6.3%)	28 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.3%)	95.5	31^st of 588 public middle schools	94.7%		96	26^th of 577 public middle schools	95.5%	5	100.0	69.3	69.7	69.9	63.8	76.3	72.2		68.4	$7,923	$298	$7,625
Clarke Middle School	Public	6-8	1235 Baxter St	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-6547	652	66	9.8	75.8%	239 (36.7%)	296 (45.4%)	69 (10.6%)	11 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.1%)	55	243^rd of 588 public middle schools	58.7%		50.8	260^th of 577 public middle schools	54.9%	17	54.4	37.8	38.8	48.2	30.2	35.5	38.4		44.0	$10,941	$1,022	$9,920

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Creek Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Bear Creek Middle School?

Students at Bear Creek Middle School are 50% White, 26% Hispanic, 14% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Bear Creek Middle School attend?

Students who attend Bear Creek Middle School usually go on to attend Apalachee High School

Is Bear Creek Middle School a good school?

Bear Creek Middle School ranks 319^th of 588 Georgia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bear Creek Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 742 students attended Bear Creek Middle School.

What district is Bear Creek Middle School in?

Barrow County

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.