Spring Creek Charter Academy

Spring Creek Charter Academy is a public charter school in Bainbridge, GA, serving 474 students in grades K-11. As a single-school district under State Specialty Schools II- Spring Creek Charter Academy, it operates independently, with no nearby schools within 20 miles for comparison. The school serves a high-poverty population—100% of students now qualify for free or reduced lunch, up from 63.9% two years ago—and spends $14,194 per student, well above the state average.

The school’s standout strengths are in high school science and history. On End of Course exams, Spring Creek significantly outpaced the state: 54.5% of students scored proficient in Biology (vs. 47.2% statewide) and 57.9% in U.S. History (vs. 38.5% statewide)—a 19-point advantage. Eighth-grade science also shines, with 40.7% proficiency, 11 points above the state average. However, math tells a more uneven story. While Algebra I has improved from 9.1% to 28.5% proficiency over three years, middle school math remains a challenge—6th-grade proficiency was just 20.9%, nearly 20 points below the state average. Elementary math scores swing dramatically year to year, suggesting results depend heavily on the specific group of students in each grade.

One encouraging trend is attendance. Chronic absenteeism peaked at 28.4% in 2021-2022 but has dropped to 15.2%—now better than the state average of 17.7%. This improvement, alongside strong science and history scores despite rising economic disadvantage, suggests targeted interventions are working. The school’s high per-student spending may be fueling these gains, though it hasn’t yet produced consistent success in math or English Language Arts (ELA results for the current year will be released in December). For parents, this is a school with clear academic strengths in specific subjects, a dedicated focus on attendance, and a small, close-knit environment—but one where math performance varies widely by grade and cohort.