Summary:
Tolbert Elementary School is the sole public school in Resaca, Georgia, serving grades PK through 5 with 528 students as part of the Gordon County School District.
Tolbert Elementary is a standout success story, showing remarkable upward momentum over the past two years. The school has climbed from a 2-star rating (47th percentile) in 2023-2024 to a 4-star rating (71st percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year—a jump of 311 positions in state rankings. This improvement is especially notable given that 99% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, making this a high-poverty school that is beating the odds. In the most recent testing cycle, Tolbert outperformed both the district and state averages in every mathematics grade level tested: 3rd grade math proficiency hit 56.3% (compared to 48.3% statewide), 4th grade reached 51.2% (state: 50.1%), and 5th grade achieved 54.8% (state: 44.1%). The school also exceeded state averages in 5th grade science at 50.7% proficiency versus 44.2% statewide. Year-over-year gains were strongest in 3rd grade math, which jumped 12.3 percentage points.
Beyond academics, Tolbert maintains a favorable 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio and spends $13,203 per student annually. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 14.1% is notably better than both the district (16.0%) and state (17.7%) averages, which may contribute to its academic success. While the school's overall performance now places it well above its district's standing (Gordon County ranks 89th out of 201 districts), English Language Arts scores for the current year have not yet been released and will be available in December. The most recent ELA data showed the school near state averages, so it will be interesting to see whether the upward trend in math and science extends to reading when those results are published.
Thank you for your feedback!