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Pierce County

At a glance

10^thof 201 Georgia districts▲ 1

Better than 95% of Georgia districts

Elementary 3 Middle 1 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

834 East Main Street
Blackshear, GA 31516·(912) 449-2044·All Georgia district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 95% of districts

Schools

3,647

Students

5-star school

Top rankedPierce County Middle School34^th of 578 Georgia middle schools

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Biggest riser

Pierce County Middle School up 26 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Patterson Elementary School 13.7 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

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

Summary:

Pierce County Schools is a five-school district in rural southeast Georgia serving roughly 3,647 students in grades PK-12, and it ranks 10th out of 201 districts statewide with a 5-star rating. Despite 78–100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the district outperforms state averages in nearly every subject, making it a standout for families seeking strong academics in a high-need community.

Pierce County High School is the district’s flagship, ranking in the top 11% of Georgia high schools with a 95.9% graduation rate (state: 87.2%) and a 0.9% dropout rate. Its Algebra I proficiency (88.4%) is 40 points above the state average, though U.S. History (36.8%) is the lone subject below state norms. Pierce County Middle School is the district’s rising star, climbing from the 85th to 94th percentile in state rankings over three years, with 8th-grade science proficiency (69.6%) nearly 40 points above the state. Among elementary schools, Midway Elementary School leads with consistent 89th-percentile rankings and exceptional 5th-grade science (83.6% vs. 44.2% statewide). Patterson Elementary School remains above average but has slid from the 92nd to 83rd percentile over three years, with the district’s highest elementary chronic absenteeism (16.0%). Blackshear Elementary School, serving 100% free/reduced lunch students, shows mixed results—3rd-grade math (57.8%) lags the district, but 4th-grade math (73%) is competitive.

Science is the district’s clear strength, with every school exceeding state averages, while chronic absenteeism is a bright spot district-wide (11.6% vs. 17.7% statewide), though the high school (16.3%) and Patterson (16.0%) need attention. Per-student spending varies from $10,679 (high school) to $14,367 (Patterson), yet higher spending doesn’t guarantee better outcomes—Patterson’s decline despite the highest spending highlights the importance of factors like leadership and engagement. For parents, Pierce County offers a cohesive, high-performing district where the middle school’s momentum, Midway’s consistency, and the high school’s graduation success provide strong options, with targeted improvements needed in U.S. History and at Patterson.

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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)	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	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 Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Patterson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3414 Drawdy St	Patterson	31557	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 647-5373	465	34	13.7	88.0%	371 (79.8%)	28 (6.0%)	44 (9.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	81.5	208^th of 1219 public elementary schools	82.9%		87	161^st of 1238 public elementary schools	87.0%	47				85.9	75.0	53.5				49.3			$14,367	$909	$13,458
Pierce County Middle School	Public	6-8	5216 County Farm Rd	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 449-2077	825	59	14.0	88.0%	627 (76.0%)	68 (8.2%)	81 (9.8%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.2%)	91.9	34^th of 578 public middle schools	94.1%		88.8	60^th of 585 public middle schools	89.7%	26							73.0	56.0	69.3		69.6	66.6	$12,190	$603	$11,587
Blackshear Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5217 Ga Highway 121	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 449-2088	820	59	13.8	100.0%	537 (65.5%)	124 (15.1%)	91 (11.1%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.3%)	71.1	311^th of 1219 public elementary schools	74.5%		73.9	284^th of 1238 public elementary schools	77.1%	27				57.8	73.0	44.7				48.5			$13,957	$1,399	$12,558
Pierce County High School	Public	9-12	4850 County Farm Rd	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	No	(912) 449-2055	1,053	65	16.3	78.0%	788 (74.8%)	79 (7.5%)	117 (11.1%)	11 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (5.3%)	76.6	50^th of 455 public high schools	89.0%		82.3	42^nd of 451 public high schools	90.7%	8	88.4	69.5	36.8										$10,679	$301	$10,377
Midway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3244 Midway Church Rd	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 807-0084	484	35	13.9	81.0%	387 (80.0%)	9 (1.9%)	67 (13.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	89.9	128^th of 1219 public elementary schools	89.5%		90.5	127^th of 1238 public elementary schools	89.7%	1				70.4	76.2	57.4				83.6			$14,060	$1,256	$12,804

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wayne County	10.29 mi	8	80^th
Brantley County	13.65 mi	7
Appling County	15.78 mi	5	45^th
Ware County	15.92 mi	9	67^th
Okefenokee Regional Educational Service Agency	16.73 mi	1

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.