Washington County

Washington County is a rural Georgia school district with four schools serving about 2,661 students in grades PK-12, including two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.

The standout school in this district is Ridge Road Elementary School, which made a dramatic leap from a 1-star to a 3-star rating in a single year. Its 3rd-grade math proficiency jumped from 32.6% to 52.7%, now exceeding the state average, and the school boasts the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at just 7.8%. This is especially impressive given that it serves the district's highest-poverty population. In contrast, T. J. Elder Middle School shows a split personality: its advanced-track students achieve a perfect 100% proficiency in Algebra I and 73.9% in high school Physical Science, yet only 10.4% of 6th graders are proficient in standard math. Washington County High School posts a strong 93.8% graduation rate and a low 1.3% dropout rate, but struggles with a 32.1% chronic absenteeism rate—nearly double the state average—and test scores that trail state averages by 15-25 points. Ridge Road Primary School maintains the lowest student-teacher ratio (12:1) and the highest per-student spending ($14,836).

District-wide, most schools trail state averages by 15-30 percentage points in math, science, and social studies, with the largest gaps in middle school. However, the elementary schools are showing signs of improvement, with 3rd and 4th grade math now meeting or exceeding state averages. The district spends between $12,734 and $14,836 per student, with the high school receiving the least funding despite facing the greatest challenges. English Language Arts scores are not included in this release and will be published in December.