Jackson Elementary School

Jackson Elementary School in Lawrenceville, GA, is a large Pre-K through 5th grade school in Gwinnett County with 1,430 students, serving a community where 70% of families qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has earned a 4-star rating and ranks in the 74th percentile statewide—a slight improvement over last year—and has stayed consistently strong over the past decade, even through the pandemic years.

What really sets Jackson apart is how well it supports specific groups of students. The school ranks in the 87th percentile statewide for English Language Learners and in the 89th percentile for African American students—both 4-star results that outpace many nearby schools with similar or even lower poverty rates. For example, Taylor Elementary and Harris Elementary serve fewer low-income families but don't come close to Jackson's results with these student groups. The school also shines in 5th grade science, where 62.5% of students are proficient—well above the district's 54.8% and the state's 44.2%. Only Parsons Elementary and Walnut Grove Elementary post higher science scores in the comparison group.

Attendance is another major win. Jackson's chronic absenteeism rate has dropped from 13.4% to just 8.2% over three years—far below the district average of 15% and the state average of 17.7%. All of this is accomplished with remarkable efficiency: at $13,602 per student, Jackson spends the least of any school in its comparison group, yet achieves better results than schools like Harris ($17,329 per student) and Kanoheda Elementary ($16,265). Areas for growth include support for Asian students (16th percentile) and Special Education students (42nd percentile), plus a slight gap where boys outperform girls. Still, for families looking for a school that delivers strong, consistent results despite economic challenges, Jackson is a standout choice.