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New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Georgia rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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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.

Gainesville Exploration Academy

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1086^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,219 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Gainesville Exploration Academy is an elementary school in Gainesville, GA, serving 536 students in grades PK-5 within the Gainesville City district, where about 84% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

For parents, the most encouraging news is attendance. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate has dropped from 21.3% in 2021-2022 to 14.4% in 2025-2026—now better than both the district (16.8%) and state (17.7%) averages. That’s a real sign of progress. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.6:1 and spends more per student ($16,238) than any nearby school, including Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy ($14,872) and Fair Street International Academy ($14,228). However, higher spending hasn’t yet translated into higher test scores. In math, proficiency rates lag significantly: 28.3% of 3rd graders, 25.7% of 4th graders, and 20.3% of 5th graders met state standards, compared to state averages of 48.3%, 50.1%, and 44.1%, respectively. The gap widens as students move up, and 5th grade science (18% proficient) is a particular concern versus the state’s 44.2%. The school’s overall state ranking has slipped to the 11th percentile, down from the 32nd percentile in 2020-2021.

Compared to nearby schools, the differences are stark. Just 3.32 miles away, Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy posts far higher scores—48.3% in 3rd grade math and 52.1% in 5th grade math—though it also serves a less economically disadvantaged population (57% free/reduced lunch). Within the Gainesville City district, Gainesville Exploration ranks near the bottom alongside Fair Street International Academy and Centennial Arts Academy, but well below Mundy Mill Arts Academy (45th percentile). The school’s biggest challenge is serving its English Language Learner population, which ranks in the 8th percentile statewide. While the academic picture is tough, the improving attendance and strong resources suggest a foundation for future growth.

536

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,238

Per pupil spending ?

84%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1145 McEver Rd
Gainesville, GA 30504

(770) 287-1223

District: Gainesville City

Students who attend Gainesville Exploration Academy usually attend:

High:

Gainesville High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.6%

African American:

18.7%

White:

7.1%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Gainesville Exploration Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 22nd percentile in 2016 → 11th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (24% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg33%

Georgia avg47%

1,086^th of 1,219

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Gainesville City

156^th of 201Gainesville City 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	14.5	1086 of 1219	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.8	1033 of 1238	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	1016 of 1236	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	1005 of 1223	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	957 of 1220	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	825 of 1214	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.4	933 of 1234	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.1	974 of 1209	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.6	944 of 1205	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.5	963 of 1233	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.1	897 of 1240	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	48.5	765 of 1231	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.9	892 of 1225	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	43.5	814 of 1201	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	27.4	993 of 1212	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.0	961 of 1183	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	47.5	676 of 1133	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	25.7	942 of 1134	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	37.5	800 of 1125	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	40.8	746 of 1101	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	20.8	715 of 828	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	763 of 892	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.2	395 of 879	55.1%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	19.8	197 of 214	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	33.5	227 of 317	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.2	224 of 304	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.2	244 of 286	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.3	263 of 283	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	14.3	1071 of 1186	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	24.1	946 of 1224	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	1001 of 1223	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	1031 of 1212	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	981 of 1206	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	14.7	469 of 503	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	489 of 583	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	480 of 565	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.0	443 of 535	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.1	456 of 516	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	17.4	1009 of 1183	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	1108 of 1225	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	1015 of 1220	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	952 of 1210	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.5	916 of 1209	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	11.1	549 of 565	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	34.1	255 of 415	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)15th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)14th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)10th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)8th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)7th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)3rd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics25%-22 vs state

Science18%-26 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, June 9, 2023

We love Gainesville Exploration Academy! The teachers are so caring and invested in our children. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, June 16, 2016

Great School with Amazing teachers! They work so hard to help my children and I am thankful for what they do. I feel that my child is loved and cared for each day. Close Quote

Schools Near Gainesville Exploration Academy

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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
Gainesville Exploration Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1145 McEver Rd	Gainesville	30504	Hall County	Gainesville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 287-1223	536	39	13.6	84.0%	38 (7.1%)	100 (18.7%)	373 (69.6%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	14.5	1086^th of 1219 public elementary schools	10.9%		17.8	1033^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	16.6%	53	28.3	25.7	20.3	18.0	$16,238	$969	$15,269
Centennial Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	852 Century Pl	Gainesville	30501	Hall County	Gainesville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 287-2044	760	53	14.2	72.8%	105 (13.8%)	125 (16.4%)	480 (63.2%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.7%)	20.3	986^th of 1219 public elementary schools	19.1%		22.2	971^st of 1238 public elementary schools	21.6%	15	25.5	36.1	27.4	18.9	$14,955	$924	$14,030
Lyman Hall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2150 Memorial Park Dr	Gainesville	30504	Hall County	Hall County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 534-7044	785	58	13.6	96.2%	20 (2.5%)	7 (0.9%)	753 (95.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.6	1149^th of 1219 public elementary schools	5.7%		11	1163^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	6.1%	14	17.7	22.3	22.5	13.7	$13,731	$1,115	$12,616
Mundy Mill Arts Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	4260 Mundy Mill Parkway	Gainesville	30504	Hall County	Gainesville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 534-0671	825	54	15.2	72.2%	96 (11.6%)	116 (14.1%)	532 (64.5%)	50 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.6%)	39.9	671^st of 1219 public elementary schools	45.0%		34.9	756^th of 1238 public elementary schools	38.9%	85	38.9	43.6	38.6	35.7	$13,338	$849	$12,489
Fair Street International Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	695 Fair St	Gainesville	30501	Hall County	Gainesville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 536-5295	651	42	15.4	91.1%	27 (4.1%)	105 (16.1%)	499 (76.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.1%)	14.2	1091^st of 1219 public elementary schools	10.5%		11.2	1161^st of 1238 public elementary schools	6.2%	70	20.7	26.5	26.7	16.3	$14,228	$1,007	$13,220
Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1340 Enota Ave NE	Gainesville	30501	Hall County	Gainesville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 532-7711	767	54	14.1	56.8%	264 (34.4%)	122 (15.9%)	314 (40.9%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (7.2%)	59.5	434^th of 1219 public elementary schools	64.4%		59.5	441^st of 1238 public elementary schools	64.4%	7	48.3	47.1	52.1	48.7	$14,872	$1,098	$13,774
New Holland Leadership Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	170 Barn St	Gainesville	30501	Hall County	Gainesville City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 287-1095	573	39	14.6	83.9%	43 (7.5%)	152 (26.5%)	350 (61.1%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.7%)	35.1	752^nd of 1219 public elementary schools	38.3%		26.3	905^th of 1238 public elementary schools	26.9%	153	47.4	40.5	36.7	18.8	$14,853	$1,033	$13,820
Sardis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2805 Sardis Rd	Gainesville	30506	Hall County	Hall County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 532-0104	556	38	14.8	63.8%	335 (60.3%)	7 (1.3%)	192 (34.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.4%)	37.1	712^th of 1219 public elementary schools	41.6%		51.3	548^th of 1238 public elementary schools	55.7%	164	31.4	42.0	40.0	35.1	$14,202	$648	$13,554
Chicopee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2029 Calvary Church Rd	Gainesville	30507	Hall County	Hall County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 536-2075	809	59	13.7	92.5%	58 (7.2%)	24 (3.0%)	706 (87.3%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.5%)	20	990^th of 1219 public elementary schools	18.8%		10	1182^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	4.5%	192	32.3	30.0	32.0	9.8	$13,645	$1,523	$12,122
Everwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5240 McEver Road	Oakwood	30566	Hall County	Hall County	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(770) 534-1080	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Gainesville Exploration Academy

What district is Gainesville Exploration Academy in?

Gainesville City

What schools do graduates of Gainesville Exploration Academy attend?

Students who attend Gainesville Exploration Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Gainesville High School

How many students attend Gainesville Exploration Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 536 students attended Gainesville Exploration Academy.

Is Gainesville Exploration Academy a good school?

Gainesville Exploration Academy ranks in the bottom 10.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Gainesville Exploration Academy?

Students at Gainesville Exploration Academy are 70% Hispanic, 19% African American, 7% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.