Summary:
Brooks County is home to two elementary schools serving grades K-5 — Quitman Elementary School (596 students) and North Brooks Elementary School (354 students) — both in a rural South Georgia district that currently ranks in the bottom quarter of the state.
North Brooks Elementary School is the clear standout, having jumped from the 30th to the 55th percentile in state rankings over two years. Its 5th-grade science proficiency rate of 61.4% is 17 points above the state average, and its 4th-grade math score (50%) matches the state average. In contrast, Quitman Elementary School sits at the 25th percentile and trails the state in every subject and grade level. The gap is starkest in 5th-grade science (29.1% vs. 61.4%) and 4th-grade math (33.7% vs. 50%). Both schools struggle with 5th-grade math — proficiency is around 25% at each, roughly 20 points below the state average — and both exceed the state’s chronic absenteeism rate (17.7%), with Quitman at 19.1%.
Both schools serve 100% economically disadvantaged students, but North Brooks spends $1,634 more per student and has a lower student-teacher ratio (11.8:1 vs. 13.4:1). In the most recent ELA release (2024-2025), Quitman posted just 13.7% proficiency in 5th-grade reading, nearly 30 points below the state. North Brooks shows a puzzling pattern — strong 4th-grade scores but a sharp drop in 5th grade — suggesting a transition issue worth investigating. For parents, the takeaway is clear: North Brooks is the stronger choice academically, especially in science, while Quitman faces systemic challenges in literacy and upper-elementary math that the district will need to address.
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