High Schools in Worth County

Worth County High School and Worth County Achievement Center are the two high schools serving grades 9–12 (and 6–12 at the Achievement Center) in Worth County, a rural south Georgia district where both schools serve predominantly low-income families.

Worth County High School is the traditional comprehensive school with 856 students, and it stands out for strong non-academic outcomes: its 92.9% graduation rate and 1.2% dropout rate both beat state averages, and chronic absenteeism (20.9%) is only slightly above the state figure. However, academic proficiency lags — Algebra I proficiency is 34.4% versus 48.1% statewide, and Biology is 28.8% versus 47.2%. The school did post a remarkable 20-point jump in Algebra I proficiency from last year, but Biology and U.S. History scores declined. Its state ranking has slipped from the 50th percentile to the 32nd percentile over two years, even as graduation metrics remain strong. By contrast, the Achievement Center is a small alternative school (35 students) facing extreme challenges: a 23.8% dropout rate, 49.3% chronic absenteeism, and 100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. It spends $24,822 per student — more than double the $11,701 at Worth County High School — yet its student-teacher ratio of 23.3:1 is surprisingly high for an alternative setting.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Worth County High School does a solid job keeping students on track to graduate despite high poverty and below-average test scores, while the Achievement Center serves a much more at-risk population requiring intensive support. The district overall ranks 108th out of 201 Georgia districts with a 2-star rating. English Language Arts scores for the current cycle have not yet been released, so no conclusions should be drawn from their absence. Both schools trail state averages on most academic measures, but Worth County High School’s graduation success and the Achievement Center’s specialized mission provide important context for families exploring options in this area.