Andrea B Williams Elementary School

Andrea B Williams Elementary School in Savannah, GA, serves 414 students in grades 1–5 within the Savannah-Chatham County district, where 93% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has made meaningful progress in recent years, climbing from the 1st percentile statewide in 2021–2022 to the 14th percentile in 2025–2026, and improving its star rating from 0 to 1 star. Per-student spending has risen to $20,839, and the student-teacher ratio has improved to 10.6, reflecting targeted investments that appear to be supporting this upward trajectory.

Chronic absenteeism, once a major concern at 45.2% in 2021–2022, has dropped to 24.2% — a dramatic 21-point improvement, though still above the district (16.6%) and state (17.7%) averages. This matters because nearby schools with the lowest absenteeism rates, such as Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts (4.5%) and Savannah Classical Academy Charter School (6.6%), also post the highest academic results in the area. In math, Andrea B Williams shows modest gains — third-grade proficiency reached 23.1% and fourth-grade 24.8% — but still trails the district by roughly 17 points in each grade. Fifth-grade math remains the weakest area at 16.1%, though it improved from 12.2% the prior year. Science is a relative bright spot: fifth-grade proficiency jumped to 32.4%, up from 20.3% last year and 10.2% three years ago, now nearly matching the district average of 35.8%.

The contrast with nearby schools is striking. Savannah Classical Academy Charter School, just 0.64 miles away, serves an equally high-poverty population (93.1% free/reduced lunch) yet achieves math proficiency rates of 64.9%–75.5% and ranks in the 88th percentile — three to four times higher than Andrea B Williams. This demonstrates that high-poverty schools in this immediate area can achieve dramatically better outcomes, suggesting factors like school culture and instructional approach play a significant role. Meanwhile, Susie King Taylor Community School, serving a similar population 1.29 miles away, has fallen to the 3rd percentile, underscoring that progress is not guaranteed. For Andrea B Williams, continued focus on attendance and fifth-grade interventions will likely be essential to sustaining its encouraging momentum.