Elementary Schools in Savannah-Chatham County

The Savannah-Chatham County school district is home to 33 elementary schools serving grades PK-8, with enrollment ranging from just 216 students at Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School to 1,585 students at Godley Station School.

For parents, the standout school in this district is Savannah Classical Academy Charter School, which ranks in the 88th percentile statewide and achieves remarkable results despite 93% of its students qualifying for free/reduced lunch—including 100% proficiency in 8th grade math and 94% in 5th grade science. Tybee Island Maritime Academy School and Marshpoint Elementary School also rank in the 87th percentile, with strong math scores across all grade levels. At the other end, Susie King Taylor Community School ranks in the 3rd percentile, and Haven Elementary School ranks in the 8th percentile with a 29.4% chronic absenteeism rate. Several schools are improving significantly, including Garden City Elementary School, which jumped over 300 ranking positions in one year, and Rice Creek School, which now exceeds district and state averages in 4th grade math.

Chronic absenteeism is a strong predictor of performance—the top five schools all have rates below 10%, while the bottom five all exceed 13%. Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts has the lowest absenteeism rate in the district at 4.5% and posts exceptional middle-grade scores, while Henderson E Formey Junior Early Learning Center has a concerning 37% absenteeism rate. The district's 4th grade math scores are the strongest (42.6% proficient), while 5th and 8th grade math lag behind. Per-student spending ranges from $15,372 at Godley Station to $27,956 at the early learning center, but higher spending does not consistently translate to better outcomes—Savannah Classical Academy spends $24,894 per student and outperforms schools spending similar amounts. The district overall ranks in the 42nd percentile statewide, but the variation between schools is enormous, making school choice critically important for families.