Summary:
Dallas, Georgia, is served by 20 public schools within the Paulding County School District, including 10 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 3 high schools, enrolling approximately 18,887 students. The district overall ranks in the 57th percentile statewide with a 3-star rating, but performance varies widely between schools.
For parents, the standout schools are clear. Sammy McClure Senior Middle School is the top performer in the city, ranking in the 95th percentile with a 5-star rating, and posts exceptional scores like 98.8% proficiency in Algebra I and 78.8% in 8th grade social studies. Burnt Hickory Elementary School leads the elementary schools (85th percentile), with 3rd grade math proficiency at 65.8% versus the state average of 48.3%. At the high school level, North Paulding High School stands out with a 96.7% graduation rate and a 0.6% dropout rate, far better than the state averages of 87.2% and 2.4%, respectively. In contrast, schools like Allgood Elementary School, Herschel Jones Middle School, and Dallas Elementary School rank in the bottom third of Georgia schools, with 3rd grade math proficiency around 35-38%.
A key takeaway is the strong link between poverty rates and performance—top schools like Sammy McClure and Burnt Hickory have free/reduced lunch populations below 28%, while the lowest-performing schools all exceed 70%. Notably, higher per-student spending does not correlate with better outcomes; Lillian C. Poole Elementary School spends $17,386 per student but ranks only in the 39th percentile. Encouragingly, 8th grade science scores improved dramatically across all middle schools in 2025-2026, with gains of 15-27 percentage points, suggesting targeted instructional initiatives are working. However, Paulding County High School has a concerning 27.8% chronic absenteeism rate, well above the district average of 16.8%, despite maintaining a solid 91.9% graduation rate.
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