Candler County

Candler County Schools is a four-school district in rural Georgia serving about 2,157 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, with all schools serving predominantly economically disadvantaged populations. The district overall ranks in the 45th percentile of Georgia districts with a 2-star rating, and it includes Metter Elementary School (PK-5), Metter Middle School (6-8), Metter High School (9-12), and Metter College and Career Academy (9-12).

Metter Middle School is the clear standout, earning the district’s only 3-star rating and jumping to the 56th percentile in state rankings. Its Algebra I End of Course proficiency rate of 88.8% is exceptional—nearly triple the district average and almost double the state average—and it improved from 85.7% the prior year. The middle school also exceeds state averages in all math grade-level tests (47.8%–50.6% proficiency). By contrast, Metter Elementary School trails state averages in every math subject, with 5th grade math dropping sharply from 50.7% to 31.9% proficiency year-over-year. At the high school level, Metter High School posts a stellar 99.2% graduation rate and exceeds state averages in Biology (55.7% vs. 47.2%), but its Algebra I proficiency (22.3%) is far below the state’s 48.1%. Metter College and Career Academy remains the lowest-ranked school but showed the biggest improvement, jumping from the 12th to 33rd percentile, with Biology proficiency soaring from 15.7% to 51.3%.

Social studies is a district-wide weakness: only 9.1% of 8th graders at Metter Middle are proficient (vs. 40.2% statewide), and US History proficiency at both high schools is under 18% (vs. 38.5% statewide). Chronic absenteeism is a bright spot—three schools range from 11.6% to 12.5%, well below the state’s 17.7%—but the Career Academy’s 17.0% rate is notably higher. Per-student spending also varies widely, from $8,767 at the Career Academy to $15,419 at Metter High. While the district’s high graduation rates are commendable, the dramatic year-over-year swings in several metrics (like the 35.6-point Biology jump and 18.8-point 5th grade math drop) suggest small cohorts or recent program changes that parents should monitor closely.