Summary:
Baker County in Newton, Georgia, is served by four public schools—Baker County Elementary (grades PK-5), Baker County Middle School (grades 6-8), Baker County High School (grades 9-12), and Baker County Learning Academy—serving a total of 287 students in this small, rural community. Every student at the three traditional schools qualifies for free or reduced lunch, a key factor in understanding the district’s academic results.
The standout performer is Baker County High School, which boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate—well above the state’s 87.2%—and has climbed dramatically in state rankings over the past three years, from the 5th percentile to the 24th percentile. Its Algebra I proficiency (32.3%) is its strongest subject, though still below the state average. In contrast, Baker County Elementary shows a troubling math cliff: 42.1% of 3rd graders are proficient, but that drops to just 9.5% in 4th grade and 9.1% in 5th grade—a 30-point collapse that suggests a systemic issue rather than a one-year blip. Baker County Middle School follows a similar pattern, with math proficiency ranging from 14.3% to 30%, all below state averages.
Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, escalating from 26.6% in elementary to 34.3% in middle school and 44.9% in high school—2.5 times the state rate. Yet the high school still graduates everyone, suggesting effective credit recovery. Science is the weakest subject across all levels, with proficiency between 13% and 20%. The district spends significantly more per high school student ($30,307) than elementary ($16,897) or middle school ($17,594), and the alternative school spends $40,383 per student for just six students. With such small cohorts, year-to-year swings can be misleading, but the elementary math cliff and rising absenteeism are clear priorities for Baker County to address.
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