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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.

Southside Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

960^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Southside Elementary School in Cairo, GA, serves about 610 students in grades PK-5 as part of Grady County Schools, where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.4:1 and spends $13,522 per student—more than its district peers—yet its overall state ranking has declined from the 49th percentile in 2020-2021 to the 21st percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 1-star rating.

Academically, Southside trails both district and state averages in math and science. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency is 32.6% versus 46.4% district and 48.3% state, while 5th grade math is 22.9% compared to 44.1% statewide. The gap widens by 5th grade, where science proficiency is just 15.9% versus 44.2% statewide. This is especially notable because nearby Shiver Elementary (64th percentile) and Whigham Elementary (68th percentile) serve similarly high-poverty populations but achieve nearly double the math proficiency rates. Even Eastside Elementary, just 1.59 miles away with the same 100% free/reduced lunch rate, outperforms Southside in most metrics. Chronic absenteeism at Southside (14.4%) is actually better than the district and state averages, so attendance is not the main issue.

There is one bright spot: 5th grade English Language Arts proficiency was 38% in 2024-2025, exceeding the district average of 33.8% and nearly matching the state average. However, this strength does not extend to math or science. The school’s trajectory is concerning—3rd grade math dropped from 47% proficient in 2022-2023 (above state average) to 32.6% in 2025-2026. Subgroup performance is also weak, with special education students ranking in the bottom 12% statewide. Given that Southside spends more per student and has smaller class sizes than higher-performing peers, the data suggests the challenge lies in instructional strategies rather than resources. The success of Shiver and Whigham shows improvement is possible, and Southside’s 5th grade ELA results offer a foundation to build on.

610

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,522

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

322 4th Avenue SE
Cairo, GA 39828

(229) 377-3723

District: Grady County

Students who attend Southside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle School
High:	Cairo High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.3%

Hispanic:

32.3%

White:

19.5%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (28% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg40%

Georgia avg47%

960^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Grady County

94^th of 202Grady 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	21.8	960 of 1222	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.7	836 of 1238	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.6	790 of 1236	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.3	758 of 1223	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.5	733 of 1220	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.4	625 of 1214	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.0	939 of 1234	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.2	1006 of 1209	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.8	1008 of 1205	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.3	889 of 1233	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.5	890 of 1240	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	39.3	896 of 1231	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	58.1	634 of 1225	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.1	694 of 1201	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.3	754 of 1212	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	61.0	522 of 1183	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.1	608 of 1133	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.2	671 of 1134	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	46.6	697 of 1125	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.2	608 of 1101	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	26.1	636 of 829	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.9	726 of 892	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	581 of 879	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	509 of 870	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.7	462 of 876	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2024	45.3	145 of 304	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.2	127 of 286	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.4	222 of 283	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	23.3	920 of 1189	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.8	772 of 1224	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	810 of 1223	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.6	754 of 1212	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.7	789 of 1206	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	385 of 504	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.5	341 of 583	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.9	459 of 565	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.4	316 of 535	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.2	367 of 516	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	957 of 1186	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.6	885 of 1225	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.7	761 of 1220	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	725 of 1210	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.1	646 of 1209	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	407 of 466	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	16.2	622 of 703	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.7	508 of 769	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	414 of 772	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.1	434 of 775	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.0	486 of 779	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)52nd percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)24th percentile~ school

African American (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)19th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)13th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)12th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics32%-16 vs state

Science16%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southside 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)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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 Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	322 4th Avenue SE	Cairo	39828	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-3723	610	49	12.4	100.0%	119 (19.5%)	270 (44.3%)	197 (32.3%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.6%)	21.8	960^th of 1222 public elementary schools	21.4%		29.7	836^th of 1238 public elementary schools	32.5%	124	32.6	39.0	22.9				15.9			$13,522	$1,854	$11,668
Eastside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 20th St NE	Cairo	39828	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-8441	735	55	13.4	100.0%	143 (19.5%)	227 (30.9%)	340 (46.3%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.4%)	36.2	732^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	40.1%		25.3	925^th of 1238 public elementary schools	25.3%	193	39.6	49.2	31.8				23.8			$11,695	$1,265	$10,430
Whigham Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	211 W Broad Ave	Whigham	39897	Grady County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 307-1714	543	38	14.3	79.2%	383 (70.5%)	89 (16.4%)	51 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.3%)	64.2	389^th of 1222 public elementary schools	68.2%		56.1	488^th of 1238 public elementary schools	60.6%	99	65.0	44.3	46.6	52.5	61.0	55.1	46.6	28.6	40.8	$12,241	$929	$11,312
Shiver Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1847 Ga Highway 93 N	Pelham	31779	Mitchell County	Grady County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 377-2325	579	40	14.6	92.2%	368 (63.6%)	53 (9.2%)	117 (20.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.2%)	59.8	434^th of 1222 public elementary schools	64.5%		63.6	400^th of 1238 public elementary schools	67.7%	34	62.1	79.0	32.3	36.5	44.7	62.5	40.3	43.7	31.3	$11,652	$846	$10,806
Harper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Fletcher St	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomasville City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-2622	263	22	11.8	99.6%	4 (1.5%)	251 (95.4%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	2.7	1220^th of 1222 public elementary schools	0.2%		6.9	1217^th of 1238 public elementary schools	1.7%	3	8.1	5.4	2.5				7.5			$22,315	$2,629	$19,687
Scott Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 N Hansell St	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomasville City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-2631	379	29	13.1	97.6%	12 (3.2%)	326 (86.0%)	22 (5.8%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.2%)	14.7	1086^th of 1222 public elementary schools	11.1%		17.5	1039^th of 1238 public elementary schools	16.1%	47	27.8	28.0	22.2				14.9			$17,302	$2,106	$15,196
Hand In Hand Primary	Public	PK-K	4687 US Highway 84 Byp W	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomas County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-3908	712	50	14.2	100.0%	360 (50.6%)	239 (33.6%)	62 (8.7%)	12 (1.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.8%)								(n/a)										$20,685	$1,422	$19,263
Jerger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1006 S Broad St	Thomasville	31792	Thomas County	Thomasville City	No	No	No	No	(229) 225-2625	708	48	14.6	57.9%	437 (61.7%)	201 (28.4%)	27 (3.8%)	18 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (3.1%)	83.2	196^th of 1222 public elementary schools	84.0%		88.6	142^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	88.5%	54	79.8	65.7	50.6				60.5			$13,308	$866	$12,442
Cross Creek Elementary School	Public	3-4	324 Clark Rd	Thomasville	31757	Thomas County	Thomas County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-3900	809	60	13.4	100.0%	421 (52.0%)	281 (34.7%)	54 (6.7%)	8 (1.0%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (4.8%)								(n/a)	41.5	48.9								$14,146	$1,242	$12,905
Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School	Public	1-2	277 Hall Rd	Thomasville	31757	Thomas County	Thomas County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 225-4387	811	63	12.8	100.0%	427 (52.7%)	292 (36.0%)	53 (6.5%)	12 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.1%)								(n/a)										$14,925	$1,337	$13,588

Frequently Asked Questions about Southside Elementary School

How many students attend Southside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 610 students attended Southside Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Southside Elementary School?

Students at Southside Elementary School are 44% African American, 32% Hispanic, 20% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Southside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Southside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle School
High : Cairo High School

Is Southside Elementary School a good school?

Southside Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.4% of Georgia elementary schools.

What district is Southside Elementary School in?

Grady County

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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.