Screven County

Screven County Schools is a three-school district in eastern Georgia serving roughly 2,066 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades, with a predominantly economically disadvantaged population. The district overall earns a 3-star rating, but performance varies sharply by school: Screven County High School is the standout with a 4-star rating and 79th percentile ranking, while Screven County Elementary School lags at 1 star and the 29th percentile. Screven County Middle School sits in between but is improving fastest, jumping from the 50th to 69th percentile in one year.

For parents, the high school is clearly the district’s strongest option. It outperforms the state in graduation rate (88.5% vs. 87.2%), has a lower dropout rate (1.8% vs. 2.4%), and posts remarkable scores in U.S. History (75.2% proficient vs. 38.5% statewide). The middle school is the rising star, with exceptional advanced coursework results: 90.7% proficiency in Algebra I and 97.8% in High School Physical Science—both nearly double the state averages. However, the elementary school is a concern. Math proficiency is well below state levels at every grade, with 4th grade math at just 27.5% compared to 50.1% statewide, and its ranking has declined three years straight. Chronic absenteeism is also a district-wide issue, with all three schools exceeding the state rate of 17.7%; the high school’s 25.2% rate is especially high.

The most striking takeaway is the contrast between the elementary and middle schools. Students seem to find success once they reach middle school, where the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.5:1) and highest spending per student ($14,263) may be fueling the advanced math and science gains. The elementary school, serving the largest and highest-poverty population, spends the least per student ($12,508). While the high school’s strong performance despite high poverty suggests effective interventions exist, the district’s biggest opportunity is replicating those successes at the elementary level, particularly in math and early literacy, to reverse its downward trend.