Elementary Schools in Lamar County

Lamar County Primary School and Lamar County Elementary School serve about 1,408 students in grades PK-5 across the Lamar County district, which ranks in the lower half of Georgia districts.

These two schools split the elementary grades, with the primary school handling PK-2 and the elementary school covering grades 3-5. The primary school stands out for serving a student body where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it also benefits from a lower student-teacher ratio (15.7:1) and higher per-student spending ($13,203) compared to the elementary school (17.6:1 and $11,216). Both schools post strong attendance, with chronic absenteeism around 11.7-11.8%, well below the district (16.9%) and state (17.7%) averages. This suggests students are consistently showing up, even as academic challenges persist.

At Lamar County Elementary School, test scores trail the state in every subject and grade. In the latest math results, proficiency ranges from 25.1% (5th grade) to 36.6% (3rd grade), compared to state averages of 44-50%. Science proficiency sits at 32.9%, about 11 points below the state. The most recent ELA data shows just 16.7% of 3rd graders proficient, a particularly low figure. There are also troubling trends: 4th and 5th grade math dropped by 5.7 and 7.4 points year-over-year, and 5th grade science fell 7.1 points. The school's state ranking slipped from the 33rd to the 26th percentile. The one bright spot is 3rd grade math, which improved by 3.7 points. Given that this is the only school in the district serving grades 3-5, its performance defines the district's academic reputation entirely.