Summary:
Lyerly Elementary School is the sole public school in Lyerly, Georgia, serving grades PK-8 with 335 students in the Chattooga County district, where nearly 87% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
This school stands out most dramatically for its exceptional attendance: only 3.1% of students are chronically absent, compared to 18.2% for the district and 17.7% statewide—a remarkable achievement for a high-poverty school. Academically, the school shows a clear growth pattern in math, with proficiency rising from 31.5% in 3rd grade to 54.2% in 8th grade, the latter exceeding the state average by nearly 8 points. Eighth-grade science is another strength at 37.1% proficiency, outpacing the state by 7.4 points. The school also leads its district in 17 of 18 subject-grade combinations, making it the clear academic leader in Chattooga County. However, performance in elementary grades lags state averages—for example, 3rd grade math sits at 31.5% versus 48.3% statewide, and 5th grade science is 22.2% versus 44.2% statewide. The most urgent concern is 4th grade English Language Arts, where only 6.9% of students were proficient in 2024-2025 (the most recent ELA data available; current-year ELA results release in December), a sharp drop from 24.1% in 3rd grade.
With a favorable 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio and $13,154 spent per student, resources are solid, yet overall proficiency remains below state averages in most subjects. The school’s ranking has improved modestly from the 27th to 29th percentile over three years. The narrative here is one of resilience: strong attendance and cumulative academic gains in upper grades suggest students build momentum over time, even as early-grade literacy and math need targeted support. For parents, this is a school that beats its demographic odds in several key areas, particularly in middle school math and science, while elementary grades offer room for growth.
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