Schools in Cuthbert, GA

The city of Cuthbert, Georgia, is served by the Randolph County School District, which operates three schools—Randolph County Elementary School (PK-5), Randolph County Middle School (6-8), and Randolph Clay High School (9-12)—serving a combined 635 students in a high-poverty area where every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

Randolph County Middle School is the clear standout, having climbed from the 19th to the 48th percentile in state rankings over two years—now nearly at the state median. Its 6th grade math proficiency (50%) beats the state average (40.7%), and its chronic absenteeism rate of 7.1% is less than half the state's 17.7%. Randolph Clay High School shines in graduation, posting a 94.2% rate versus the state's 87.2%, despite end-of-course scores lagging in Algebra I (30.2% vs. 48.1%) and Biology (27.3% vs. 47.2%). Randolph County Elementary School shows a puzzling split: 4th grade math proficiency (57.1%) exceeds the state (50.1%), but 5th grade math collapses to 17.2% (state: 44.1%), suggesting a grade-level transition issue worth investigating.

All three schools beat the state average on chronic absenteeism, a notable achievement given the district's poverty level. The middle school's turnaround is the district's most compelling story—6th grade math jumped from 28.6% to 50% in a year, and 8th grade science (26.2%) nearly matches the state (29.7%). However, small cohorts (139 middle school students) create volatility; 8th grade social studies swung from 15.4% to 30.9% in one year. Per-student spending varies widely, from $14,991 at the middle school to $20,867 at the elementary school. Overall, the district sits at the 33rd percentile statewide, but every school has improved its ranking since 2023-2024, with the middle school leading a positive trajectory that suggests systemic gains are taking hold.