Summary:
Dooly County Elementary School and Dooly County Middle School are the two schools serving Pinehurst, Georgia, within the Dooly County district, covering grades PK-8 for a student body where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The middle school is the clear standout in this small district. It has improved its statewide ranking for three straight years, climbing from the 9th to the 18th percentile, and has earned a 1-star rating in each of the last two years. Its math gains are particularly notable: 6th grade proficiency more than doubled from 9% to 18.5%, and 8th grade jumped from 7.7% to 18.3% in just one year. The middle school also benefits from more resources, spending $22,006 per student with an 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio, compared to the elementary school's $14,368 and 15.1:1 ratio. In contrast, Dooly County Elementary School remains in the bottom 5% of Georgia schools, with rankings stuck between the 3rd and 6th percentile over three years and no star rating. Its 4th grade math proficiency (26.8%) is more than double the 3rd and 5th grade rates, suggesting uneven instructional quality.
Both schools trail state averages by 20-35 points in nearly every subject, and the middle school's chronic absenteeism rate (26.3%) is well above the state average of 17.7%, though the elementary school matches the state average. Social Studies was a relative strength at the middle school but slipped sharply from 26.9% to 15.9% proficiency in one year. With no high school in Pinehurst, students must leave the city after 8th grade. Despite substantial per-student spending and small class sizes, academic outcomes remain low, though the middle school's trajectory suggests targeted interventions are beginning to work.
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