Monroe County

Monroe County Schools is a five-school district in central Georgia serving approximately 4,700 students across one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools, earning a 4-star rating that places it in the 88th percentile of Georgia districts.

Families will find a district with clear strengths and some notable disparities. T.G. Scott Elementary School is the standout, ranking 181st in the state and improving 68 spots year-over-year, with exceptional 3rd-grade math (70.9% proficiency) and the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at just 6.8%. Monroe County Middle School - Banks Stephens Campus is a mathematics powerhouse, with 82.1% of students proficient in Algebra I—34 points above the state average—and strong 8th-grade social studies scores. Mary Persons High School posts a 93.8% graduation rate and exceptional Biology proficiency at 69%, though its chronic absenteeism (12.9%) runs higher than the district average. The elementary schools, however, are trending in opposite directions: Samuel E. Hubbard Elementary School dropped 139 ranking spots and saw 5th-grade math proficiency fall from 60.2% to 35.6%, while Katherine B. Sutton Elementary School remains the district's lowest-performing school despite spending $14,147 per student.

District-wide, science and social studies are consistent strengths, with 8th-grade science proficiency (57.8%) nearly double the state rate. Chronic absenteeism is well managed across all schools, with every campus below the state average of 17.7%. Notably, per-student spending does not correlate with outcomes—Hubbard spends the most ($15,464) yet struggles, while the middle school spends the least ($11,224) and produces the strongest subject-area results. For parents, this district offers strong overall academics, particularly in math and science, but the divergent elementary trajectories suggest families should research individual schools carefully, especially given the clear relationship between poverty levels and performance.