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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.

Southwest Laurens Elementary

Q: Is Southwest Laurens Elementary a good school?

Southwest Laurens Elementary ranks 214 th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

214^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Southwest Laurens Elementary in Rentz, GA, is a PK-5 school serving 967 students in the Laurens County district, and it has become a standout academic leader despite nearly all of its students (98.66%) coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

This school has shown remarkable, steady improvement over the past decade, climbing from the 50th percentile statewide in 2015-2016 to the 82nd percentile in 2025-2026—a feat that has earned it a 4-star rating. Its biggest strength is science: in 5th grade, 56.4% of students are proficient, which is 12 points above the state average and the highest among all comparable schools in the area. Math is also a clear winner, with proficiency rates of 67.8% (3rd grade), 65.3% (4th grade), and 57% (5th grade)—all 13 to 20 points above the state. The school is especially effective with its African American students, who rank in the 85th percentile statewide, the highest subgroup ranking for the school. It also outperforms other high-poverty schools nearby, like Dodge County Elementary (46th percentile) and Hillcrest Elementary (35th percentile), showing that its practices are making a real difference.

Compared to its district counterpart, Northwest Laurens Elementary (84th percentile), Southwest Laurens actually leads in 5th-grade science (56.4% vs. 47.9%). The school also continues to improve its chronic absenteeism rate, dropping from 19.9% in 2023-2024 to 16.7% in 2025-2026, which likely supports its rising test scores. While the most recent English Language Arts scores are not yet available, past data showed ELA proficiency was on par with the district—so math and science are the clear standouts here. For parents looking for a school that consistently beats state averages and punches above its weight, Southwest Laurens is a strong choice.

967

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,911

Per pupil spending ?

98.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1799 Ga Highway 117
Rentz, GA 31075

(478) 984-4276

District: Laurens County

Students who attend Southwest Laurens Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	East Laurens Middle School
	West Laurens Middle School
High:	East Laurens High School
	West Laurens High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.0%

African American:

20.2%

Hispanic:

7.5%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Southwest Laurens Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 50th percentile in 2016 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (61% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Georgia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 32 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg60%

Georgia avg47%

214^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▲ up 32 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to top 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Laurens County

31^st of 202Laurens 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	80.9	214 of 1222	82.5%	★★★★☆
2025	69.1	337 of 1238	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	65.8	394 of 1236	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.8	385 of 1223	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.7	323 of 1220	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	68.8	335 of 1214	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	71.8	307 of 1234	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	54.3	504 of 1209	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.5	613 of 1205	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.0	612 of 1233	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.4	723 of 1240	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.6	708 of 1231	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.5	739 of 1225	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	60.4	570 of 1201	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.6	403 of 1212	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.8	461 of 1183	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.9	495 of 1133	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.2	477 of 1134	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	51.7	631 of 1125	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	59.7	508 of 1101	53.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	77.3	121 of 829	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	67.6	215 of 892	75.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.4	255 of 879	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	55.4	316 of 870	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.0	226 of 876	74.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	80.6	205 of 1189	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	65.7	367 of 1224	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	382 of 1223	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.3	390 of 1212	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.2	307 of 1206	74.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	78.2	231 of 1186	80.5%	★★★★☆
2025	70.8	307 of 1225	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	65.0	398 of 1220	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	381 of 1210	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.1	329 of 1209	72.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	53.6	186 of 466	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.2	233 of 565	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.6	210 of 487	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.2	283 of 455	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.2	291 of 415	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	63.9	254 of 703	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.7	395 of 769	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.2	424 of 772	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.2	408 of 775	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.6	365 of 779	53.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2026)85th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)81st percentile~ school

White (2026)64th percentile-19 vs school

Special Education (2026)60th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics63%+16 vs state

Science56%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southwest Laurens Elementary

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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
Southwest Laurens Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1799 Ga Highway 117	Rentz	31075	Laurens County	Laurens County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 984-4276	967	70	13.7	98.7%	658 (68.0%)	195 (20.2%)	73 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.1%)	80.9	214^th of 1222 public elementary schools	82.5%		69.1	337^th of 1238 public elementary schools	72.8%	123	67.8	65.3	57.0	56.4	$13,911	$846	$13,065
Susie Dasher	Public	PK, KG-4	911 Martin Luther King Jr Dr	Dublin	31021	Laurens County	Dublin City	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 353-8250	554	31	17.6	100.0%	43 (7.8%)	476 (85.9%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.0%)								(n/a)	58.1	40.5
Northwest Laurens Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3330 US Highway 80 W	Dudley	31022	Laurens County	Laurens County	No	No	No	No	(478) 676-3475	889	63	14.0	79.4%	551 (62.0%)	227 (25.5%)	39 (4.4%)	30 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.7%)	83.7	190^th of 1222 public elementary schools	84.5%		88.6	143^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	88.4%	47	70.8	77.8	67.1	47.9	$14,192	$483	$13,709
Hillcrest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1100 Edgewood Dr	Dublin	31021	Laurens County	Dublin City	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 353-8200	546	29	18.6	100.0%	48 (8.8%)	452 (82.8%)	21 (3.8%)	9 (1.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)								(n/a)	35.0	40.4
East Laurens Elementary School	Public	3-5	960 US Highway 80 E	East Dublin	31027	Laurens County	Laurens County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 272-8612	467	41	11.3	100.0%	217 (46.5%)	193 (41.3%)	34 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	67.4	350^th of 1222 public elementary schools	71.4%		56.4	484^th of 1238 public elementary schools	60.9%	134	67.1	60.5	47.0	40.6	$14,768	$1,050	$13,719
East Laurens Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	950 US Highway 80 E	Dublin	31027	Laurens County	Laurens County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 272-4440	627	42	14.8	100.0%	286 (45.6%)	249 (39.7%)	61 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.6%)								(n/a)					$16,139	$1,428	$14,710
Dodge County Elementary School	Public	3-5	167 Orphans Cemetery Road	Eastman	30123	Bartow County	Dodge County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 374-6690	535	50	10.7	100.0%	274 (51.2%)	186 (34.8%)	32 (6.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.7%)	41.6	655^th of 1222 public elementary schools	46.4%		36	738^th of 1238 public elementary schools	40.4%	83	33.5	43.5	41.2	41.2	$14,419	$1,412	$13,007
Treutlen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7892 Ga Highway 29	Soperton	30457	Treutlen County	Treutlen County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 529-7161	499	40	12.3	100.0%	286 (57.3%)	160 (32.1%)	22 (4.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.6%)	72.1	300^th of 1222 public elementary schools	75.5%		62.3	407^th of 1238 public elementary schools	67.1%	107	70.5	64.5	53.3	35.6	$16,349	$1,696	$14,652
Dodge County Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1118 McRae Hwy	Eastman	31023	Dodge County	Dodge County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 374-6691	668	52	12.7	100.0%	342 (51.2%)	228 (34.1%)	45 (6.7%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (6.6%)								(n/a)					$15,386	$1,385	$14,001

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Laurens Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Laurens Elementary?

Students at Southwest Laurens Elementary are 68% White, 20% African American, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Is Southwest Laurens Elementary a good school?

Southwest Laurens Elementary ranks 214^th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Southwest Laurens Elementary in?

Laurens County

What schools do graduates of Southwest Laurens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Southwest Laurens Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Laurens Middle School
Middle : West Laurens Middle School
High : East Laurens High School
High : West Laurens High School

How many students attend Southwest Laurens Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 967 students attended Southwest Laurens Elementary.

Rate Southwest Laurens Elementary!

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Schools in Rentz, GA

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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.