Best Public Schools in Pelham, GA

Pelham, Georgia is served by four public schools—Shiver Elementary School, Pelham Elementary School, Pelham City Middle School, and Pelham High School—spanning grades PK-12 across the Grady County and Pelham City districts, enrolling roughly 1,825 students in a predominantly low-income area where 92-100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The standout performer is Shiver Elementary School, a PK-8 school that dramatically outpaces its peers despite having the lowest per-student spending ($11,652) and highest student-teacher ratio (14.6:1). Its 4th grade math proficiency (79%) nearly doubles Pelham Elementary School's rate (43.6%), and its 8th grade science scores (43.7%) are more than double the district average (19.8%). Shiver also improved its statewide ranking from 480th to 433rd. In contrast, Pelham City Middle School shows the most concerning academics, with 6th grade math proficiency at just 13.9% versus the state's 40.7%. Pelham High School posts a strong 93.4% graduation rate (state: 87.2%) but lags on end-of-course exams, including just 20% proficiency in US History.

Attendance is a clear strength for the Pelham City schools, with chronic absenteeism rates of 8.7-9.3%—roughly half the state average of 17.7%—while Shiver sits at 17.9%. Pelham Elementary School has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 22nd to 47th percentile in two years, though its 3rd grade math proficiency dropped from 50% to 29.8%. Shiver also shows a puzzling 5th grade math dip (32.3% vs. 79% in 4th grade). The spending disparity raises questions: Pelham City schools spend $2,000-$3,900 more per student yet achieve weaker results, suggesting school-level factors like instructional quality or the K-8 configuration at Shiver may matter more than resources alone.