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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

Free Home Elementary School

Q: Is Free Home Elementary School a good school?

Free Home Elementary School ranks 425 th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

425^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Free Home Elementary School is a small, close-knit elementary school in Canton, GA, serving 280 students in grades PK-5 within the Cherokee County School District—a school roughly one-quarter to one-sixth the size of its neighbors, which range from about 700 to 1,600 students.

One of the school’s standout strengths is attendance. Free Home has cut its chronic absenteeism rate from 23.4% in 2021-2022 to just 4.0% today—an 83% improvement that puts it well below the district average of 10.2% and the state average of 17.7%. This rate is comparable to top-performing nearby schools like Avery Elementary School (2.9%) and Macedonia Elementary School (3.2%). The school also invests heavily in each child, spending $18,606 per student—24–55% more than any comparable school—and maintains a favorable 11.3:1 student-teacher ratio, well below the 14–16:1 range typical of nearby schools. Historically, 5th grade English Language Arts has been a consistent bright spot, with proficiency rates 15–25 points above district and state averages in recent years.

However, the school faces challenges. Its statewide ranking has slipped from the 83rd percentile in 2022-2023 to the 65th percentile today, and upper-grade math and science scores have declined sharply. In 2024-2025, 5th graders scored 70.5% proficient in math and 61.4% in science; just one year later, those numbers fell to 45.8% and 37.6%, respectively. This volatility is partly due to the school’s small cohorts—roughly 50–60 students per grade—where a handful of students can dramatically shift results. Free Home also serves a higher-poverty population (32.86% free/reduced lunch) than most neighbors, and its 65th percentile ranking trails nearby schools like Midway Elementary School and Birmingham Falls Elementary School, which rank in the 90th+ percentile. For families, Free Home offers exceptional attendance, personalized attention, and strong early-grade literacy, but upper-grade math and science performance is an area to watch.

280

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,606

Per pupil spending ?

32.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8828 Ball Ground Road
Cumming, GA 30028

(770) 721-5960

District: Cherokee County

Students who attend Free Home Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Creekland Middle School
High:	Creekview High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.9%

Hispanic:

14.3%

Two or more races:

1.4%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Free Home Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 70th percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Georgia median (65th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Cherokee County's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg58%

Georgia avg47%

425^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 30% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 23Elementary Schools in the Cherokee County

22^nd of 202Cherokee County among Georgia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	60.6	425 of 1222	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.4	358 of 1238	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.4	366 of 1236	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	81.6	213 of 1223	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.4	262 of 1220	78.5%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	355 of 1214	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	65.4	387 of 1234	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.1	245 of 1209	79.7%	★★★★☆
2017	72.3	290 of 1205	75.9%	★★★★☆
2016	65.9	373 of 1233	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.6	316 of 1240	74.5%	★★★★☆
2014	74.7	299 of 1231	75.7%	★★★★☆
2013	61.6	561 of 1225	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	74.9	287 of 1201	76.1%	★★★★☆
2011	77.6	249 of 1212	79.5%	★★★★☆
2010	78.2	223 of 1183	81.1%	★★★★☆
2009	81.8	151 of 1133	86.7%	★★★★☆
2008	69.0	348 of 1134	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	78.0	207 of 1125	81.6%	★★★★☆
2006	77.6	205 of 1101	81.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	57.4	446 of 1189	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	76.0	263 of 1224	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	64.6	393 of 1223	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	76.3	248 of 1212	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	67.7	346 of 1206	71.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	59.3	437 of 1186	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.7	438 of 1225	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.9	336 of 1220	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	198 of 1210	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	81.3	224 of 1209	81.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	479 of 703	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.9	383 of 769	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.6	469 of 772	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.4	261 of 775	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	336 of 779	56.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2026)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)62nd percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)32nd percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics54%+6 vs state

Science38%-7 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 13, 2019

I attended Free Home Elem. and I have now moved back and put my two children in this school. I can not say enough good things about the teachers and staff. It is a great small town feel with tons of attention to detail! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 11, 2011

My daughter has just started kindergarten there, and the teachers and staff have made this a seamless transition from preschool. They are very good at communicating with parents and making sure that you know what is happening in the classroom. The building may be old, but the people are wonderful and the learning environment is top notch! Close Quote

Schools Near Free Home Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Free Home Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8828 Ball Ground Road	Cumming	30028	Forsyth County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-5960	280	25	11.3	32.9%	235 (83.9%)	1 (0.4%)	40 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	60.6	425^th of 1222 public elementary schools	65.2%		67.4	358^th of 1238 public elementary schools	71.1%	67	58.0	56.6	45.8	37.6	$18,606	$173	$18,433
Macedonia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10370 E Cherokee Dr	Canton	30115	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 704-1372	730	52	14.1	18.6%	602 (82.5%)	19 (2.6%)	61 (8.4%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (4.9%)	88.5	143^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	88.3%		87.6	155^th of 1238 public elementary schools	87.5%	12	70.7	70.2	74.4	59.3	$14,994	$137	$14,857
Poole's Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7110 Heardsville Rd	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 888-1285	1,384	90	15.3	22.0%	635 (45.9%)	50 (3.6%)	166 (12.0%)	477 (34.5%)	8 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (3.5%)	76.6	254^th of 1222 public elementary schools	79.2%		79.1	244^th of 1238 public elementary schools	80.3%	10	73.9	66.9	51.4	48.6	$12,384	$200	$12,184
Vickery Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6280 Post Rd	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 346-0040	982	62	15.8	6.9%	613 (62.4%)	23 (2.3%)	50 (5.1%)	259 (26.4%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.4%)	93.5	91^st of 1222 public elementary schools	92.6%		93.2	98^th of 1238 public elementary schools	92.1%	7	80.1	76.2	74.7	66.6	$12,380	$202	$12,178
Matt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7455 Wallace Tatum Rd	Cumming	30028	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(678) 455-4500	1,171	81	14.5	19.1%	652 (55.7%)	30 (2.6%)	120 (10.2%)	311 (26.6%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (4.4%)	87.3	156^th of 1222 public elementary schools	87.2%		87.1	159^th of 1238 public elementary schools	87.2%	3	75.3	60.6	77.2	61.2	$13,452	$200	$13,252
Avery Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6391 E Cherokee Dr	Canton	30115	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 704-1343	1,104	79	13.9	22.6%	836 (75.7%)	39 (3.5%)	140 (12.7%)	41 (3.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.2%)	92.2	106^th of 1222 public elementary schools	91.3%		89.8	131^st of 1238 public elementary schools	89.4%	25	79.8	80.8	69.5	62.0	$13,689	$308	$13,381
Sawnee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1616 Canton Hwy	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 887-6161	1,591	100	15.9	21.5%	594 (37.3%)	50 (3.1%)	223 (14.0%)	659 (41.4%)	15 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (3.1%)	86.5	161^st of 1222 public elementary schools	86.8%		85.8	176^th of 1238 public elementary schools	85.8%	15	65.7	73.2	67.9	58.7	$12,354	$200	$12,154
Midway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Mullinax Road	Alpharetta	30004	Fulton County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 475-6670	1,022	63	16.2	15.8%	315 (30.8%)	51 (5.0%)	112 (11.0%)	483 (47.3%)	16 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.4%)	95.1	70^th of 1222 public elementary schools	94.3%		94	84^th of 1238 public elementary schools	93.2%	14	77.6	85.5	77.1	69.0	$12,028	$200	$11,828
New Hope Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4810 Castleberry Road	Cumming	30040	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(678) 965-5101	1,175	76	15.4	14.6%	336 (28.6%)	33 (2.8%)	125 (10.6%)	639 (54.4%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (3.1%)	96.8	39^th of 1222 public elementary schools	96.8%		95.9	64^th of 1238 public elementary schools	94.8%	25	83.6	84.9	81.8	73.1	$12,258	$201	$12,057
Birmingham Falls Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	14865 Birmingham Hwy	Milton	30004	Fulton County	Fulton County	No	No	No	No	(470) 254-2820	696	48	14.6	4.3%	558 (80.2%)	23 (3.3%)	45 (6.5%)	33 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.2%)	97.3	31^st of 1222 public elementary schools	97.5%		98.5	14^th of 1238 public elementary schools	98.9%	17	93.3	87.2	81.6	73.1	$16,097	$432	$15,665

Frequently Asked Questions about Free Home Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Free Home Elementary School?

Students at Free Home Elementary School are 84% White, 14% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Free Home Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Free Home Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Creekland Middle School
High : Creekview High School

How many students attend Free Home Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 280 students attended Free Home Elementary School.

What district is Free Home Elementary School in?

Cherokee County

Is Free Home Elementary School a good school?

Free Home Elementary School ranks 425^th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)Aug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.