Dodge County Elementary School

Dodge County Elementary School in Eastman, GA, serves 535 students in grades 3 through 5 and is part of the Dodge County school district, which holds a 1-star rating.

One of the most encouraging developments at Dodge County Elementary is a dramatic improvement in student attendance. Chronic absenteeism—the percentage of students missing a significant number of school days—dropped from a very high 26.1% in the 2024-2025 school year to just 5.3% in 2025-2026. That is a remarkable 20.8 percentage point improvement in a single year, and it now puts the school well below the state average (17.7%) and even below nearby Bleckley County Elementary School (6.3%). This turnaround suggests the school has implemented effective strategies to get students in the classroom, which is often a strong foundation for future academic gains. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $14,419 per pupil—more than any comparable school in the area—and maintaining a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.7:1, which is lower (better) than all nearby schools.

Academically, the school shows some bright spots, particularly in 4th-grade math, where 43.5% of students met proficiency standards in 2025-2026. While this is below the state average of 50.1%, it is the school's strongest subject and grade combination, and it outpaces its own 3rd-grade (33.5%) and 5th-grade (41.2%) math scores. However, there is a significant performance gap when compared to Bleckley County Elementary School, a 4-star school located just 15 miles away. For example, in 5th-grade math and science, Bleckley County posts proficiency rates of 70% and 67.2%, respectively, compared to Dodge County's 41.2% in both subjects. Despite this gap, Dodge County Elementary's 2-star rating (46th percentile) represents a slight improvement from the previous year, and the school's strong investment in resources, small class sizes, and newly demonstrated ability to improve attendance provide a solid base for continued progress.