Summary:
Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy is the sole high school in Ben Hill County, serving grades 9-12 with 870 students in a rural South Georgia community.
This school presents a striking paradox: it graduates students at a rate (90.8%) that beats both the district (85.7%) and state (87.2%), yet its academic proficiency scores lag far behind state averages. In the most recent testing year, only 23.6% of students were proficient in Algebra I, 29.9% in Biology, and 12.8% in U.S. History—all well below state proficiency rates of 48.1%, 47.2%, and 38.5% respectively. The school's state ranking has declined steadily over three years, from 303rd (34th percentile) in 2023-2024 to 374th (18th percentile) in 2025-2026, earning a 1-star rating. Test scores also show significant year-to-year volatility, with Algebra I proficiency dropping 14.6 points and Biology improving 15.3 points between the last two school years.
Chronic absenteeism affects 17.8% of students, nearly matching the state rate of 17.7%, while the dropout rate of 2.8% sits slightly above the state's 2.4%. The school spends $13,320 per student with a favorable 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio, yet these resources haven't translated into stronger test performance. The disconnect between high graduation rates and low proficiency suggests students may be completing school through credit recovery or alternative pathways not reflected in standardized tests. As the only high school in the county, its metrics mirror district figures exactly. English Language Arts results will be released in December, which will provide a more complete academic picture, but current data indicates this school excels at keeping students on track to graduate while struggling to move the needle on academic achievement benchmarks.
Thank you for your feedback!