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Matthew Arthur Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

86^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,238 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Matthew Arthur Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Kathleen, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 882 students. The school is part of the Houston County School District, which is ranked 60 out of 206 districts in Georgia and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Matthew Arthur Elementary School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Georgia, with a statewide ranking between 49 and 118 over the past 5 years. The school's students consistently outperform the Houston County and Georgia state averages in the Milestones Assessment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 79.3% of 5th-grade students at Matthew Arthur Elementary were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 51.5% in Houston County and 43% statewide. Additionally, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16 to 16.3 over the past 3 years, and its spending per student has been relatively consistent, ranging from $10,195 to $10,280 over the same period.

Matthew Arthur Elementary School outperforms many of the nearby schools, such as Lake Joy Elementary, Bonaire Elementary, and Morningside Elementary, in academic metrics like Milestones Assessment proficiency rates. The school also has a lower percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients (41.04% in 2023-2024) compared to some nearby schools, such as Morningside Elementary (90.08%) and Langston Road Primary (64.82%). The school's consistent high performance, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking among the top elementary schools in Georgia, suggests that it is providing a high-quality educational experience for its students.

450

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,997

Per pupil spending ?

36.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2500 Ga Highway 127
Kathleen, GA 31047

(478) 988-6170

District: Houston County

Students who attend Matthew Arthur Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bonaire Middle School
High:	Veterans High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.1%

African American:

27.8%

Hispanic:

8.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 81st percentile in 2015 → 93rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (72% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of Georgia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school72%

District avg48%

Georgia avg42%

86^th of 1,238

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 19% (2015) to top 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 19Elementary Schools in the Houston County

60^th of 206Houston 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	93.8	86 of 1238	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	94.6	69 of 1248	94.5%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	118 of 1242	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	95.7	66 of 1244	94.7%	★★★★★
2021	96.4	49 of 1214	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	89.6	120 of 1234	90.3%	★★★★★
2018	85.3	159 of 1209	86.8%	★★★★☆
2017	87.8	131 of 1205	89.1%	★★★★☆
2016	76.4	252 of 1233	79.6%	★★★★☆
2015	77.6	236 of 1240	81.0%	★★★★☆
2014	77.3	245 of 1231	80.1%	★★★★☆
2013	80.4	191 of 1225	84.4%	★★★★☆
2012	77.7	234 of 1201	80.5%	★★★★☆
2011	83.7	128 of 1212	89.4%	★★★★☆
2010	85.5	95 of 1183	92.0%	★★★★★
2009	87.9	72 of 1133	93.6%	★★★★★
2008	81.9	140 of 1134	87.7%	★★★★☆
2007	82.8	130 of 1125	88.4%	★★★★☆
2006	81.0	143 of 1101	87.0%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Georgia (2024-2025) ?

Science74%+30 vs state

Mathematics72%+26 vs state

English Language Arts71%+32 vs state

4.5

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, August 31, 2012

This school has went from being an above average school to just average. If it weren't for the great teachers it would definitely be a below average school. I have had more problems with this school this year than I have had the entire seven years we have attended. Again, the teachers are great; however, the administration (exception Dr. McDuffie) and the office staff are rude and unorganized. There used to be a sweet atmosphere in the school and now I'm lucky to even see anyone smile. I am highly disappointed in what MAE has become. "It feels like a prison" is what my child told me. How sad!!! Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, August 12, 2011

My child is autistic and entered MAES near the end of the school year (2011). He was in Kindergarten. After an interview with the principal, Mrs. Jolie Hardin, he was placed with Mrs. Joni Shannon and Mrs. Collins. He blossomed under their care! No one knew that he was autistic at his last school until the very end, so they treated him as a problem child. Not so with Mrs. Shannon! She is fully trained to handle autistic children in the mainstream classroom, and does so beautifully! Thank goodness the school decided to cycle Mrs. Shannon and her whole class together for 1st grade! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, May 30, 2011

I had 3 children who attended this school and can't think of one bad thing to say. The teachers and administration are all wonderful. They provide a great learning environment for the students. The PTO is very active and provides fun activities for the students. Without question, this is the best elementary school in Houston County. Close Quote

Schools Near Matthew Arthur 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
Matthew Arthur Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Ga Highway 127	Kathleen	31047	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6170	450	30	15.2	36.4%	239 (53.1%)	125 (27.8%)	36 (8.0%)	13 (2.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.6%)	93.8	86^th of 1238 public elementary schools	93.1%		94.6	69^th of 1248 public elementary schools	94.5%	17	55.0	76.6	79.3	63.6	83.2	69.2	74.0	$14,997	$506	$14,492
Matt Arthur Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	150 Talton Road	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 217-1376	521	35	14.8	44.3%	256 (49.1%)	159 (30.5%)	52 (10.0%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.6%)								(n/a)								$14,029	$621	$13,407
Langston Road Elementary School	Public	3-5	315 Langston Rd	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6160	473	31	15.3	62.2%	249 (52.6%)	146 (30.9%)	34 (7.2%)	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	31 (6.6%)	85.3	182^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	85.3%		89.4	145^th of 1248 public elementary schools	88.4%	37	46.3	58.1	69.7	57.9	65.0	63.8	67.8	$15,343	$577	$14,767
Langston Road Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	325 Langston Road	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 988-6160	526	36	14.7	77.8%	234 (44.5%)	163 (31.0%)	66 (12.5%)	12 (2.3%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	44 (8.4%)								(n/a)								$14,199	$559	$13,640
Hilltop Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Robert Bryson Smith Pkwy	Bonaire	31005	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 929-6113	590	41	14.3	71.7%	279 (47.3%)	170 (28.8%)	66 (11.2%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (11.4%)	79.6	241^st of 1238 public elementary schools	80.5%		74	295^th of 1248 public elementary schools	76.4%	54	49.5	45.9	71.1	49.5	55.3	68.7	67.5	$14,795	$882	$13,913
David A. Perdue Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	150 Jerry Barker Dr	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 218-7500	716	45	15.9	73.9%	266 (37.2%)	274 (38.3%)	78 (10.9%)	27 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	66 (9.2%)								(n/a)								$15,884	$914	$14,970
David A. Perdue Elementary School	Public	3-5	115 Sutherlin Dr	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6350	617	39	15.9	63.4%	238 (38.6%)	228 (37.0%)	72 (11.7%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (8.3%)	66.5	370^th of 1238 public elementary schools	70.1%		74.6	287^th of 1248 public elementary schools	77.0%	83	36.6	54.6	53.3	44.4	59.9	43.4	48.1	$13,128	$626	$12,502
Kings Chapel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	460 Arena Rd	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6273	690	44	15.5	43.6%	502 (72.8%)	110 (15.9%)	39 (5.7%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.8%)	82.6	206^th of 1238 public elementary schools	83.4%		84	189^th of 1248 public elementary schools	84.9%	17	53.1	64.1	50.0	63.7	64.1	55.3	59.6	$12,869	$443	$12,426
Bonaire Elementary School	Public	3-5	101 Elm St	Bonaire	31005	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 929-7826	547	35	15.7	38.9%	315 (57.6%)	116 (21.2%)	51 (9.3%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.2%)	91.1	118^th of 1238 public elementary schools	90.5%		91	121^st of 1248 public elementary schools	90.3%	3	59.9	61.1	64.7	70.6	70.8	70.0	66.3	$12,634	$406	$12,229
Morningside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1206 Morningside Dr	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 988-6261	488	37	13.1	100.0%	106 (21.7%)	320 (65.6%)	22 (4.5%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.2%)	53.9	515^th of 1238 public elementary schools	58.4%		54.5	509^th of 1248 public elementary schools	59.2%	6	48.6	39.7	44.2	41.7	48.7	26.0	44.2	$15,460	$1,011	$14,449

Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew Arthur Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Matthew Arthur Elementary School?

Students at Matthew Arthur Elementary School are 53% White, 28% African American, 8% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Matthew Arthur Elementary School in?

Houston County

Is Matthew Arthur Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Matthew Arthur Elementary School ranks in the top 6.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

How many students attend Matthew Arthur Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 450 students attended Matthew Arthur Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Matthew Arthur Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Matthew Arthur Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bonaire Middle School
High : Veterans 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.