Furlow Charter School

Furlow Charter School in Americus, GA, is a K-12 public charter school serving 585 students as its own single-school district, the State Specialty Schools II- Furlow Charter School, with a favorable 11.8-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a strong focus on student engagement.

One of the most encouraging trends at Furlow is its dramatic improvement in student attendance. Chronic absenteeism has been cut in half over four years, dropping from 26.2% in 2022-2023 to just 13.2% in the most recent year—a rate that now beats the state average of 17.7%. The graduation rate has also climbed steadily, reaching 85.4%, close to the state's 87.2%. These gains suggest a school culture that is successfully keeping students connected and motivated. Academically, the school shows clear pockets of strength, particularly in middle school. For example, 6th-grade English Language Arts has exceeded the state average for three straight years (53.7% vs. 41.3% in the most recent release), and 8th-grade science has also outperformed the state in recent years.

However, the data reveals a significant challenge at the high school level. In core End-of-Course subjects like Biology (25% proficient vs. 47.2% statewide) and U.S. History (15.6% vs. 38.5%), Furlow consistently trails the state by a wide margin. Scores in Algebra I and history also swing dramatically from year to year, which is likely due to the school's small class sizes—a single cohort can heavily skew results. While elementary and middle school math generally tracks close to state averages, the sharp drop-off in high school suggests a systemic issue with preparing students for these specific assessments. Overall, Furlow is a school with strong student engagement and some middle school bright spots, but it faces a persistent gap in high school EOC performance that will require targeted support.