Bacon County

Bacon County School District in Alma, Georgia, serves approximately 2,094 students across four schools spanning grades PK-12, and it ranks 29th out of 201 districts statewide with a 4-star rating. The district includes Bacon County Primary School (PK-2), Bacon County Elementary School (3-5), Bacon County Middle School (6-8), and Bacon County High School (9-12).

Mathematics is the district's standout subject, with every grade level outperforming state averages. Bacon County Elementary School leads the way with 4th-grade math proficiency at 60.4% (10.3 points above the state) and strong 5th-grade science at 52.6%. Bacon County Middle School excels in 8th-grade social studies (46.6% vs. 40.2% statewide) and science (36.3% vs. 29.7%), though its math scores in 7th and 8th grades dipped significantly from the prior year. Bacon County High School is the district's flagship, ranking 102nd in Georgia (up from 127th three years ago) with a 93.8% graduation rate and Algebra I proficiency of 62.1%—14 points above the state average. The high school also outperforms the state in Biology and U.S. History.

Despite 92-100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the district achieves above-average results, aided by favorable student-teacher ratios (11.5-14.4:1) and per-student spending between $12,954 and $15,932. The primary challenge is chronic absenteeism, which exceeds the state rate of 17.7% at all schools—most notably at the middle school (28.1%) and high school (25.7%). While the high school's ranking has steadily improved, the middle school's ranking has slipped from 121st to 178th, likely tied to its absenteeism and uneven math performance. The elementary schools provide a solid foundation, and the district's consistent strength in math and science across all levels suggests a well-aligned curriculum worth celebrating.