Towns County

Towns County is a small, rural school district in northeast Georgia serving about 966 students across three schools—an elementary school (PK-5), a middle school (6-8), and a high school (9-12)—with a 4-star district rating and an 86th percentile ranking among Georgia’s 201 districts.

The standout is Towns County Middle School, which ranks in the 78th percentile statewide and boasts an extraordinary math pipeline. Its Algebra I End of Course proficiency hit 88.2% in 2025-2026—nearly double the state average—and reached a perfect 100% the prior year. The school also leads the district in 7th grade math (68.2% vs. 42.0% statewide) and 6th grade math (56.2% vs. 40.7%). Towns County High School is equally impressive, ranking in the 85th percentile with a 94% graduation rate (state: 87.2%) and a 62.5% U.S. History proficiency rate—24 points above the state. Towns County Elementary School is solid but more uneven, excelling in 5th grade science (56.4% vs. 44.2% statewide) while struggling in 4th grade math (35.5%, 14.6 points below the state).

Despite high poverty—free/reduced lunch rates range from 68% to 96%—the district outperforms state averages in most subjects, aided by small class sizes (9-11 students per teacher) and high per-student spending ($18,915-$21,213). However, chronic absenteeism is a concern at the high school (36.2%, double the state rate) even as graduation rates remain strong. The middle school also shows year-over-year volatility in 8th grade scores, likely due to small cohorts. For parents, this district offers a rigorous middle school math program, a high-achieving high school, and a supportive elementary environment—though 4th grade math and high school attendance deserve attention.