Summary:
Hartwell, Georgia is served by four public schools within the Hart County district, which together educate roughly 3,077 students across two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, all operating in a community where economic challenges are significant, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 85.5% to 100%.
For parents, the standout is Hart County Middle School, which posts extraordinary Algebra I proficiency rates of 96.5% in 2025-2026—nearly double the state average of 48.1%—though this same school shows a puzzling weakness in 8th grade Science, where only 3.8% of students are proficient versus the state's 29.7%. At the high school level, Hart County High School boasts a 97% graduation rate, well above the state's 87.2%, and its Biology scores (46.7%) are near the state average, but U.S. History proficiency sits at just 21% compared to the state's 38.5%. Among the elementary schools, South Hart Elementary School outperforms Hartwell Elementary School in math at every grade level—for example, 59.6% versus 52.3% proficiency in 4th grade—despite both schools serving 100% free/reduced lunch populations and Hartwell Elementary actually spending more per student ($13,415 vs. $13,029).
A consistent pattern emerges across the district: mathematics is a clear strength, while science and social studies lag significantly behind state averages. Both elementary schools also show a notable dip in 5th grade math, with South Hart dropping from 59.6% to 39% and Hartwell from 52.3% to 26.6%. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism is a bright spot—all four schools are below the state average of 17.7%, with Hartwell Elementary leading at just 9.6%. The district overall earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 56th percentile statewide, indicating solid but improvable performance, particularly in addressing the science and social studies gaps that appear across multiple grade levels.
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