Forsyth County Schools officials said they’ve earned the highest possible efficiency rating from the Georgia Department of Education for a third straight year. The 5-out-of-5-star rating is said to be the only such among Metro Atlanta school districts, andthe only one for districts of more than 7,500 students in the state.

The rating is based on a three-year average of per pupil spending and provides a yardstick measuring per-pupil money in relation to student academic achievement. The state education department said the top-scoring districts have strong academic performance and lower levels of per-pupil expenditures compared to others.