Summary:
Vienna, Georgia, is home to a single public high school, Dooly County High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Dooly County school district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Dooly County High School is a high-poverty school (82% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch) that spends significantly more per student ($19,584) than typical Georgia schools, yet its academic proficiency rates are critically low. On End of Course tests, proficiency ranges from 0% in US History to 18.3% in Biology, compared to state averages of 38-48%. The school has ranked in the bottom 10% of Georgia high schools for three consecutive years. However, there are some bright spots: the graduation rate is a strong 91.3%, above both the district (88.2%) and state (87.2%) averages, and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 13.7:1, suggesting smaller class sizes. Additionally, there is positive momentum in math and science, with Algebra I proficiency improving slightly and Biology jumping from 10.4% to 18.3% in one year.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 33.5%—nearly double the state average of 17.7%. This likely plays a major role in the low test scores. The 0% proficiency in US History is alarming and warrants immediate attention, though it could reflect a very small number of test-takers. While the school invests heavily in its students and successfully graduates them, the academic outcomes suggest that financial resources alone are not overcoming the challenges of high poverty and absenteeism. Parents should view this school as one with a caring, supportive environment that prioritizes graduation, but they should also be aware that students may need significant academic support to meet state standards, particularly in history and English-related subjects. The absence of English Language Arts scores in this release means a full picture of reading and writing proficiency won't be available until December.
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