Charlton County High School

Charlton County High School in Folkston, GA, serves 417 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Charlton County district, which holds a 4-star rating statewide.

The most striking story at this school is the gap between its exceptional graduation rate and its more modest test scores. For the 2024-2025 school year, the graduation rate hit 96.6%—a remarkable 9.4 percentage points above the state average of 87.2%. This isn't a one-year fluke; the school has consistently outperformed the state by 10-13 points over the past five years. However, proficiency rates on End of Course exams in core subjects like Algebra and Biology generally fall below state averages. The school does have one clear academic bright spot: U.S. History. In 2024-2025, 64.5% of students were proficient, compared to just 38.5% statewide—a 26-point advantage that has held steady for several years. This suggests a particular instructional strength in that department that could offer lessons for other subjects.

It's also worth noting that the school's overall state ranking has slipped recently. After peaking at 109th in the 2022-2023 school year (75th percentile), it dropped to 234th in the most recent data (49th percentile). This decline coincides with rising economic challenges—76.26% of students now qualify for free or reduced lunch, up from 60.4% two years earlier—and a slight uptick in chronic absenteeism. On a positive note, the school is investing heavily in its students: per-student spending has risen 24.5% over two years to $16,530, and the student-teacher ratio is a favorable 13.2 to 1. There are no other high schools within 20 miles, so for families in this rural area, this is the primary option—and one that clearly prioritizes getting students across the graduation finish line, even as it works to boost academic proficiency in core subjects.