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Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School

Q: Is Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School a good school?

Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School ranks 257 th of 1238 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

257^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,238 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School is a public elementary school in Athens, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with 486 students. Despite serving a student population with significant economic challenges, with 64.81% to 82.72% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the school consistently outperforms the Clarke County and Georgia state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas.

In the 2024-2025 school year, 57.4% of 3rd graders at Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary were proficient or better in ELA, compared to just 26.6% for Clarke County and 34.9% for Georgia. The school also spends significantly more per student ($12,976 in 2018-2019) and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.6 to 11.2 over the past few years. These factors likely contribute to the school's academic success, which has consistently placed it in the top 25% of Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary among Georgia elementary schools.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Clarke County district, such as Barnett Shoals Elementary, Timothy Elementary, and Gaines Elementary, Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary stands out as a high-performing school, with lower poverty rates and better academic outcomes. This suggests the school is effectively supporting student learning and growth, even in the face of significant economic challenges.

492

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,739

Per pupil spending ?

74.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

757 N Chase St
Athens, GA 30601

(706) 543-1081

District: Clarke County

Students who attend Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Clarke Middle School
High:	Clarke Central High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.5%

African American:

38.4%

Hispanic:

11.4%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2015 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (55% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Georgia elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Clarke County

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg31%

Georgia avg42%

257^th of 1,238

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From top 11% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 14Elementary Schools in the Clarke County

150^th of 206Clarke County among Georgia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	77.0	257 of 1238	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	273 of 1248	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	233 of 1242	81.2%	★★★★☆
2022	82.6	213 of 1244	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	342 of 1214	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	84.7	173 of 1234	86.0%	★★★★☆
2018	87.6	138 of 1209	88.6%	★★★★☆
2017	88.9	118 of 1205	90.2%	★★★★★
2016	93.1	80 of 1233	93.5%	★★★★★
2015	87.6	133 of 1240	89.3%	★★★★☆
2014	70.8	386 of 1231	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	76.5	271 of 1225	77.9%	★★★★☆
2012	78.1	218 of 1201	81.8%	★★★★☆
2011	48.1	742 of 1212	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.1	861 of 1183	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	23.2	967 of 1133	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	13.4	1050 of 1134	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.2	1113 of 1125	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.0	1090 of 1101	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Georgia (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts57%+18 vs state

Science54%+10 vs state

Mathematics53%+8 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, August 3, 2017

Great school! I always felt welcome as I walked into the doors of Chase. Teachers and other staff greet parents and the students with a smile. Great school Academically. Close Quote

Schools Near Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2025)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2025)			Milestones Assessment Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	757 N Chase St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-1081	492	44	11.1	74.4%	214 (43.5%)	189 (38.4%)	56 (11.4%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.5%)	77	257^th of 1238 public elementary schools	79.2%		76.5	273^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	78.1%	16	57.4	53.9	59.1	60.3	53.9	45.5	53.8	$21,739	$1,207	$20,533
Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Alps Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-2261	322	38	8.4	100.0%	12 (3.7%)	243 (75.5%)	36 (11.2%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.1%)	10.2	1180^th of 1238 public elementary schools	4.7%		6.6	1233^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	1.2%	53	9.3	12.8	2.6	32.6	20.5	5.1	5.1	$26,519	$1,784	$24,735
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Oglethorpe Ave	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 549-0762	563	56	10.1	100.0%	114 (20.2%)	182 (32.3%)	222 (39.4%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.4%)	24.2	937^th of 1238 public elementary schools	24.3%		30.3	849^th of 1248 public elementary schools	32.0%	88	15.6	24.3	29.1	27.8	37.1	31.4	20.9	$22,691	$1,439	$21,252
Barrow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Pinecrest Dr	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-2676	456	42	10.8	77.4%	177 (38.8%)	180 (39.5%)	38 (8.3%)	36 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	57.2	475^th of 1238 public elementary schools	61.6%		61.8	437^th of 1248 public elementary schools	65.0%	38	45.6	39.7	43.3	42.1	53.4	39.4	42.4	$22,187	$1,221	$20,966
Howard B. Stroud Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	715 Fourth St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 369-1893	350	42	8.3	100.0%	13 (3.7%)	257 (73.4%)	63 (18.0%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)	6.4	1223^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	1.2%		8.1	1220^th of 1248 public elementary schools	2.2%	3	8.9	10.4	6.4	15.6	12.5	10.6	8.5	$29,249	$1,662	$27,587
Fowler Drive Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Fowler Dr	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5330	366	43	8.5	100.0%	28 (7.7%)	143 (39.1%)	176 (48.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	24.1	940^th of 1238 public elementary schools	24.1%		23.4	955^th of 1248 public elementary schools	23.5%	15	20.4	17.9	21.2	49.0	34.3	25.0	7.7	$25,789	$1,782	$24,007
Whitehead Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	555 Quailwood Dr	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7296	632	66	9.5	99.1%	118 (18.7%)	209 (33.1%)	266 (42.1%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.6%)	41.7	662^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	46.5%		35.3	767^th of 1248 public elementary schools	38.5%	105	26.7	32.2	27.6	42.9	50.0	40.0	34.3	$22,563	$1,315	$21,248
Timothy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 Timothy Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 549-0107	565	53	10.5	68.3%	217 (38.4%)	210 (37.2%)	82 (14.5%)	17 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.7%)	70.5	324^th of 1238 public elementary schools	73.8%		71.5	326^th of 1248 public elementary schools	73.9%	2	36.8	46.8	53.3	54.7	59.7	60.0	48.3	$22,136	$1,131	$21,005
Gaines Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Gaines School Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5333	568	50	11.3	100.0%	36 (6.3%)	386 (68.0%)	110 (19.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.5%)	6.9	1213^th of 1238 public elementary schools	2.0%		9	1205^th of 1248 public elementary schools	3.4%	8	8.0	11.7	3.5	13.3	23.4	9.3	7.0	$22,170	$1,726	$20,444
Judia Jackson Harris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Danielsville Rd	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5203	392	41	9.6	100.0%	17 (4.3%)	81 (20.7%)	288 (73.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	28.9	859^th of 1238 public elementary schools	30.6%		32.7	801^st of 1248 public elementary schools	35.8%	58	27.1	20.0	28.6	49.2	22.9	30.4	23.2	$24,593	$1,818	$22,774

Frequently Asked Questions about Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School

Is Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School a good school?

Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School ranks 257^th of 1238 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 492 students attended Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School?

Students at Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School are 43% White, 38% African American, 11% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School in?

Clarke County

What schools do graduates of Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clarke Middle School
High : Clarke Central High School

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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.