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Clarke County

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

At a glance

138^thof 202 Georgia districts▲ 12

Better than 31% of Georgia districts

Elementary 14 Middle 4 High 3Grades PK, KG-12

595 Prince Ave
Athens, GA 30606·(706) 546-7721·All Georgia district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 31.7% of districts

Schools

12,275

Students

Top rankedJohnnie Lay Burks Elementary School213^th of 1,222 Georgia elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Cleveland Road Elementary School up 264 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Cleveland Road Elementary School 8 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

2★

1★

0★

Compare Georgia districts →See the top-ranked Georgia schools →

Summary:

Clarke County Schools serve approximately 11,700 students across 21 schools in the Athens area, including 14 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 3 high schools, with the district ranking in the 32nd percentile statewide with a 2-star rating.

Families will find a wide range of experiences depending on which school their child attends. Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School is the district's standout performer, ranking in the 83rd percentile with 4 stars and math proficiency rates between 58-70% across grades 3-5—far outpacing every other elementary school. Timothy Elementary School also performs well at the 67th percentile. At the middle school level, Clarke Middle School and Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School achieve remarkable Algebra I proficiency rates of 89-90%, nearly double the state average. However, several schools struggle significantly: Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary School (2nd percentile), Howard B. Stroud Elementary School (3rd percentile), and Gaines Elementary School (5th percentile) all rank near the bottom of the state with proficiency rates in the single digits for many subjects.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern at 26.8%, well above the state's 17.7%, with Classic City High School facing an 80% absenteeism rate and a 16.9% dropout rate. The district also serves a highly economically disadvantaged population—10 of 21 schools have 100% of students on free/reduced lunch. Encouragingly, Cedar Shoals High School has improved dramatically from the 19th to 38th percentile, and Cleveland Road Elementary School jumped 20 percentile points. Notably, higher per-student spending does not translate to better outcomes—the lowest-performing schools spend the most per pupil, reflecting the greater needs of their students rather than inefficiency.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)						Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Clarke Middle School	Public	6-8	1235 Baxter St	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-6547	718	63	11.3	83.8%	249 (34.7%)	324 (45.1%)	94 (13.1%)	13 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	36 (5.0%)	39.9	327^th of 578 public middle schools	43.4%		49.7	268^th of 585 public middle schools	54.2%	59	89.4						30.9	38.6	39.7		35.2	37.4	$19,260	$1,205	$18,055
Timothy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 Timothy Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 549-0107	565	53	10.5	68.3%	217 (38.4%)	210 (37.2%)	82 (14.5%)	17 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.7%)	62.6	405^th of 1222 public elementary schools	66.9%		70.5	324^th of 1238 public elementary schools	73.8%	81				59.8	57.4	33.8				47.7			$22,136	$1,131	$21,005
Winterville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	305 Cherokee Rd	Winterville	30683	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5222	343	37	9.2	93.6%	66 (19.2%)	139 (40.5%)	122 (35.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.8%)	29.7	842^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	31.1%		23.4	955^th of 1238 public elementary schools	22.9%	113				47.6	39.6	23.8				19.1			$24,243	$1,255	$22,988
Barnett Shoals Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3220 Barnett Shoals Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5334	490	50	9.7	100.0%	131 (26.7%)	248 (50.6%)	54 (11.0%)	10 (2.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.8%)	48.8	563^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	53.9%		48.1	590^th of 1238 public elementary schools	52.3%	27				46.1	37.0	46.2				45.4			$22,785	$1,382	$21,403
Whitehead Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	555 Quailwood Dr	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7296	632	66	9.5	99.1%	118 (18.7%)	209 (33.1%)	266 (42.1%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.6%)	47.4	586^th of 1222 public elementary schools	52.0%		41.7	662^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	46.5%	76				48.8	42.0	43.8				38.2			$22,563	$1,315	$21,248
Clarke Central High School	Public	9-12	350 S Milledge Ave	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5200	1,907	120	15.8	82.5%	502 (26.3%)	748 (39.2%)	523 (27.4%)	34 (1.8%)	4 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (4.9%)	34.3	263^rd of 457 public high schools	42.5%		44.3	204^th of 451 public high schools	54.8%	59	23.1	40.4	33.8										$17,068	$1,332	$15,736
Hilsman Middle School	Public	6-8	870 Gaines School Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7281	624	57	11.0	100.0%	116 (18.6%)	354 (56.7%)	112 (17.9%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.6%)	17	485^th of 578 public middle schools	16.1%		22.5	451^st of 585 public middle schools	22.9%	34	72.0						15.1	18.8	24.8		18.6	36.0	$20,802	$1,543	$19,259
Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	757 N Chase St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-1081	492	44	11.1	74.4%	214 (43.5%)	189 (38.4%)	56 (11.4%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.5%)	80.9	213^th of 1222 public elementary schools	82.6%		77	257^th of 1238 public elementary schools	79.2%	44				69.5	57.9	58.8				60.3			$21,739	$1,207	$20,533
Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Alps Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-2261	322	38	8.4	100.0%	12 (3.7%)	243 (75.5%)	36 (11.2%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.1%)	6	1202^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	1.6%		10.2	1180^th of 1238 public elementary schools	4.7%	22				12.8	10.3	13.7				14.0			$26,519	$1,784	$24,735
Cedar Shoals High School	Public	9-12	1300 Cedar Shoals Dr	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 546-5375	1,489	110	13.5	100.0%	190 (12.8%)	706 (47.4%)	515 (34.6%)	20 (1.3%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (3.8%)	30.7	283^rd of 457 public high schools	38.1%		19.7	358^th of 451 public high schools	20.6%	75	24.5	34.1	35.1										$19,146	$1,731	$17,416
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Oglethorpe Ave	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 549-0762	563	56	10.1	100.0%	114 (20.2%)	182 (32.3%)	222 (39.4%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.4%)	36.1	735^th of 1222 public elementary schools	39.9%		24.2	937^th of 1238 public elementary schools	24.3%	202				45.8	39.2	27.3				34.9			$22,691	$1,439	$21,252
Gaines Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Gaines School Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5333	568	50	11.3	100.0%	36 (6.3%)	386 (68.0%)	110 (19.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.5%)	10.1	1157^th of 1222 public elementary schools	5.3%		6.9	1213^th of 1238 public elementary schools	2.0%	56				21.5	13.9	19.0				19.0			$22,170	$1,726	$20,444
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School	Public	6-8	1600 Tallassee Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7208	707	62	11.4	100.0%	110 (15.6%)	275 (38.9%)	289 (40.9%)	10 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.1%)	39.3	329^th of 578 public middle schools	43.1%		47.7	281^st of 585 public middle schools	52.0%	48	90.2						30.3	42.4	44.4		30.3	30.7	$19,221	$1,393	$17,828
Fowler Drive Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Fowler Dr	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5330	366	43	8.5	100.0%	28 (7.7%)	143 (39.1%)	176 (48.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	27.4	875^th of 1222 public elementary schools	28.4%		24.1	940^th of 1238 public elementary schools	24.1%	65				43.6	45.7	23.8				17.7			$25,789	$1,782	$24,007
Barrow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Pinecrest Dr	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-2676	456	42	10.8	77.4%	177 (38.8%)	180 (39.5%)	38 (8.3%)	36 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	50.2	543^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	55.6%		57.2	475^th of 1238 public elementary schools	61.6%	68				50.0	39.2	40.0				47.3			$22,187	$1,221	$20,966
Coile Middle School	Public	6-8	110 Old Elberton Rd	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5318	582	55	10.5	100.0%	30 (5.2%)	232 (39.9%)	302 (51.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.7%)	11.6	534^th of 578 public middle schools	7.6%		15.1	515^th of 585 public middle schools	12.0%	19	40.8						15.2	24.2	12.1		9.2	10.8	$20,057	$1,978	$18,079
Cleveland Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Cleveland Rd	Bogart	30622	Oconee County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5333	256	32	8.0	100.0%	41 (16.0%)	111 (43.4%)	69 (27.0%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	28 (10.9%)	48.3	570^th of 1222 public elementary schools	53.4%		29.9	834^th of 1238 public elementary schools	32.6%	264				55.3	22.2	47.4				42.1			$30,137	$1,676	$28,461
Howard B. Stroud Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	715 Fourth St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 369-1893	350	42	8.3	100.0%	13 (3.7%)	257 (73.4%)	63 (18.0%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)	7.5	1182^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	3.3%		6.4	1223^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	1.2%	41				18.9	17.1	15.5				11.1			$29,249	$1,662	$27,587
Whit Davis Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1450 Whit Davis Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 369-1036	395	37	10.6	96.7%	84 (21.3%)	180 (45.6%)	89 (22.5%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.4%)	30.5	831^st of 1222 public elementary schools	32.0%		31.8	810^th of 1238 public elementary schools	34.6%	21				31.8	38.7	27.4				37.2			$21,663	$1,331	$20,332
Classic City High School	Public	9-12	440 Dearing Ext	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 353-2323	58	7	8.2	82.8%	0 (0.0%)	54 (93.1%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.2%)	4.9	443^rd of 457 public high schools	3.1%		4	447^th of 451 public high schools	0.9%	4	0.0	0.0	8.6
Judia Jackson Harris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Danielsville Rd	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5203	392	41	9.6	100.0%	17 (4.3%)	81 (20.7%)	288 (73.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	32.5	793^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	35.1%		28.9	859^th of 1238 public elementary schools	30.6%	66				46.5	42.9	32.6				17.6			$24,593	$1,818	$22,774

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Northeast Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency	1.33 mi	1
State Specialty Schools I- Foothills Regional High School	2.03 mi	1	179^th
Oconee County	5.35 mi	12	3^rd
Madison County	8.3 mi	7	49^th
Jackson County	9.43 mi	13	39^th

See the top GA Georgia districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.