River Trail Middle School earned the No. 4 spot among Georgia's public middle schools in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 rankings, scoring 99.5 out of 100.

The Johns Creek school placed fourth out of 597 ranked middle schools statewide, according to rankings reported by SaportaReport on Thursday, Oct. 22. Only three schools scored higher: Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers in Decatur, Elite Scholars Academy School in Jonesboro and Davidson Fine Arts Magnet in Augusta.

According to the school's U.S. News profile, 85% of River Trail students scored at or above the proficient level in math and 82% in reading. Those figures exceed the Fulton County district averages of 44% in math and 50% in reading. Statewide, 34% of middle schoolers tested proficient in math and 38% in reading.

River Trail ranked fifth in the state for reading proficiency and seventh for math proficiency. Both categories earned a rating of "well above expectations."

The school serves 1,098 students in grades six through eight, with 80 full-time teachers and a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Ninety-four percent of those teachers are certified, according to U.S. News.

The rankings weigh four factors equally, each worth 25% of a school's overall score: math proficiency, reading proficiency, math performance relative to socioeconomic expectations and reading performance relative to those same expectations. Assessment data comes from the 2023-24 school year, collected by RTI International from state education agencies.

Eric Brooks, U.S. News' director of education data analysis, said the rankings have limits. "The rankings and data are intended to be a starting point, and not the final word for parents when considering educational opportunities for their children," Brooks told SaportaReport.

Neil Pinnock has led River Trail as principal since 2018, according to the school's administration page. He began his career in Fulton County Schools in 1995 as a fourth-grade teacher and spent 10 years as principal at River Eves Elementary School before moving to River Trail.

Three other Fulton County middle schools also cracked the top 25: Webb Bridge Middle School in Alpharetta at No. 10, Autrey Mill Middle School in Alpharetta at No. 16 and Taylor Road Middle School in Alpharetta at No. 18. The full list is available on the U.S. News Georgia rankings page.