Elementary Schools in Liberty County

Liberty County is home to seven elementary schools serving grades PK-5 and approximately 5,379 students in a high-poverty, coastal Georgia area where all schools report free/reduced lunch rates between 76% and 100%.

The standout school in this district is Taylors Creek Elementary School, which ranks in the 89th percentile statewide (4 stars) and dramatically outperforms its peers. Its average math proficiency of 70.2% is nearly double the district average of 38.1%, and its 5th grade science proficiency (68.4%) is almost twice the district rate (36.7%). Taylors Creek also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the county at 12.8%, compared to the district's 28.4%. At the other end of the spectrum, Lyman Hall Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9% statewide (0 stars) with math proficiency rates below 21% in every grade and the highest chronic absenteeism rate (29.0%). Interestingly, Lyman Hall spends the most per student ($13,733) yet achieves the lowest scores, while Button Gwinnett Elementary School spends the least ($12,005) and maintains the highest student-teacher ratio (27.1:1) — nearly double every other school — yet still outperforms four of its peers.

A concerning district-wide pattern is the steady decline in math proficiency from 3rd to 5th grade, with the district average dropping from 42.3% to 31.6%. This decline is steepest at Button Gwinnett (a 20.1-point drop) and is consistent across all seven schools, suggesting a systemic challenge in upper elementary math instruction. Chronic absenteeism appears to be a strong predictor of performance: the district's rate (28.4%) is 10.7 points above the state average, and the schools with the lowest attendance (Lyman Hall at 29.0%, Button Gwinnett at 26.7%) tend to struggle most. However, Joseph Martin Elementary School (22.3% absenteeism) and Waldo Pafford Elementary School (22.6%) show that moderate attendance can still yield mid-pack results. For parents, Taylors Creek demonstrates that high achievement is possible even in high-poverty settings, while the district's overall performance — ranking 129th out of 201 Georgia districts — highlights significant room for improvement across most schools.