Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center

Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center in Augusta, GA, is a specialized school operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, serving just 11 students in grades 5 through 12 who are in the juvenile justice system.

This school is fundamentally different from traditional public schools. Its mission is to provide educational continuity and basic academic skills to youth in crisis, not to produce college-ready graduates. With a 5.5:1 student-teacher ratio—far lower than the 15-18:1 ratios at nearby schools like Butler High School or Cross Creek High School—students receive intensive, individualized attention. About 73% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is actually comparable to or lower than many surrounding Richmond County schools, where 100% of students qualify. The student population is highly transient, and most arrive with significant educational disruptions from their previous schools, where chronic absenteeism ranges from 37.8% to 57%.

Test scores are low, but there is a notable bright spot: Algebra I proficiency improved from 0% to 5.6% in the most recent testing cycle—a small but meaningful gain in a school this size. No students scored proficient in Biology, and state rankings place the school in the bottom 2% of Georgia high schools. However, these metrics must be understood in context. With only 11 students, a single student's performance shifts percentages by nearly 10 points. The school's sister facility, Augusta Youth Development Campus, faces similar challenges with a 0% graduation rate and 32.7% dropout rate. The current data release does not include English Language Arts scores, which will be released in December. Ultimately, this school should be evaluated on its ability to stabilize and educate youth during a period of crisis, not compared to traditional high schools like Davidson Fine Arts Magnet or Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School, which serve stable populations with vastly different resources and goals.