Summary:
This analysis covers Coastal Plains High School, the sole high school in the State Specialty Schools I- Coastal Plains High School district, which serves grades 9-12 in Brunswick, GA, and operates as a statewide alternative school.
Coastal Plains High School is facing a severe crisis across every measurable outcome. The graduation rate is just 18.5% compared to the state average of 87.2%, while the dropout rate of 20.7% is nearly nine times the state rate of 2.4%. Over half of the students (52.8%) are chronically absent, triple the state average. Academic proficiency is critically low across all subjects, with the most recent Algebra I proficiency at just 8.4% versus the state's 48.1%, a staggering 40-point gap. Biology (19.9%) and U.S. History (17.0%) also lag far behind state averages. The school's state ranking has declined from the 25th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 12th percentile in 2025-2026, indicating worsening relative performance.
Several factors make this situation particularly notable. The school spends $16,242 per student, above the typical Georgia school, yet outcomes remain critically low, suggesting resources alone are not the solution. Interestingly, only 27.65% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, well below the state average, indicating the challenges are not primarily economic. As a specialty school, Coastal Plains likely serves students referred from traditional schools due to behavioral or disciplinary issues, meaning the student population may enter with significant academic deficits. The sharp decline in Algebra I proficiency from 23.4% to 8.4% in one year is especially concerning, as math skills are foundational for future success. This combination of extreme graduation gaps, high absenteeism, and declining test scores demands urgent, comprehensive intervention focused on student engagement, credit recovery, and wraparound support services.
Thank you for your feedback!