Summary:
The city of Pearson, Georgia, is served by the Atkinson County School District, which includes three schools—Pearson Elementary School (PK-5), Atkinson County Middle School (6-8), and Atkinson County High School (9-12)—serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged population with free/reduced lunch rates between 80% and 86%.
Atkinson County High School stands out as the academic leader with a 95.7% graduation rate—8.5 points above the state—and exceptional U.S. History proficiency at 53.1%, a 14.6-point advantage over the state. It also shows strong Algebra I results (48.6%) and a 12.7-point year-over-year improvement in U.S. History. However, its American Literature proficiency is a notable weakness at just 26.5%, a 13.9-point deficit. Atkinson County Middle School is the most improved, jumping from the 65th to 73rd percentile in one year, with math proficiency rising across all grade levels and 8th grade math hitting 61.5%—15.2 points above the state. Its 8th grade Social Studies improved dramatically by 15.6 points to 52.1%. Pearson Elementary School is the consistent performer, with 4th grade math at 61.6% (11.5 points above state), though 5th grade math drops sharply to 41.9%.
The middle school faces a science challenge, with 8th grade proficiency at 29.2%—still below the state—and a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.2%, notably higher than the elementary (11.4%) and high school (10.9%). The high school spends $4,071 more per student than the middle school ($15,170 vs. $11,099). Despite high poverty levels, all three schools earn 3-4 star ratings, with the district ranked 53rd of 201 in Georgia. The elementary school shows a 19.7-point drop from 4th to 5th grade math, suggesting a transition issue. Overall, this district is beating the odds, but targeted attention is needed in middle school science, high school American Literature, and the 5th grade transition.
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