Carrollton City

Carrollton City is a four-school district in west Georgia serving approximately 5,850 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, including two elementary campuses, one middle school, and one high school. The district earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 68th percentile statewide, with a majority of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch (50–65% across schools).

The standout performer is Carrollton Middle School, where 100% of 8th graders taking Algebra I scored proficient or above—far exceeding the state average of 48.1%—and 90.9% of 8th graders in High School Physical Science were proficient versus 60.9% statewide. This indicates a highly effective accelerated track for advanced students. Carrollton High School posts a strong 92.8% graduation rate (state: 87.2%) and excels in U.S. History with 49.7% proficiency versus 38.5% statewide. However, its standard Algebra I results lag at 39.1% proficiency, well below the state average, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 20.8% is the district's only rate worse than the state's 17.7%. Among elementary schools, Carrollton Elementary School (the largest campus at 1,894 students) leads in 3rd grade math (54.6% vs. 48.3% statewide), while Carrollton Upper Elementary has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at 12.0%.

A notable pattern is the math proficiency drop between elementary and middle school: 3rd and 4th graders outperform state averages, but 6th and 7th graders fall below them, suggesting a transition challenge. Science performance is mixed—5th grade lags (35.4% vs. 44.2% statewide) while 8th grade exceeds the state (32.1% vs. 29.7%). Per-student spending ranges from $11,622 at the middle school to $13,763 at the elementary school, with the middle school achieving its exceptional results despite the lowest spending. Rankings have slipped slightly across all schools over three years, but the district's advanced coursework outcomes and graduation rate remain clear strengths worth noting for families.