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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.

Hickory Flat Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1043^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Hickory Flat Elementary School in McDonough, GA, serves about 560 students in grades PK-5 as part of Henry County Schools, and it has seen a long-term decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, though recent data suggests the school may be turning a corner.

The most encouraging news for parents is a dramatic improvement in attendance. Chronic absenteeism at Hickory Flat dropped from 31.1% in 2024-2025 to 18.2% in 2025-2026—a 13-point improvement in a single year that now puts the school below the district average (19.6%) and nearly at the state average (17.7%). This is especially notable when compared to nearby schools like Birch Creek Elementary School (26.1%) and Walnut Creek Elementary (26.3%), which continue to struggle with much higher rates. The school has also invested in smaller class sizes (student-teacher ratio improved from 16.5 to 14.5) and increased per-student spending to $13,805—still lower than several peers like Cotton Indian Elementary School ($15,523) and Stockbridge Elementary School ($16,165), making Hickory Flat one of the more cost-efficient options in the area.

Academically, math proficiency remains below district and state averages, though 4th grade is a relative bright spot at 31.7% proficiency (district: 37.6%). Fifth grade math has been volatile, swinging from 28.7% in 2022-2023 to just 13.7% in 2024-2025 before recovering to 24.4% in 2025-2026. Science is the school's most persistent challenge, with only 20.7% of 5th graders proficient compared to 44.2% statewide. The contrast with East Lake Elementary, just 2.11 miles away, is stark—East Lake ranks in the 77th percentile with 64.3% 3rd-grade math proficiency and 9.5% chronic absenteeism, though it serves a wealthier population. With improved attendance, increased investment, and modest math gains in 4th and 5th grades, Hickory Flat appears positioned for a potential rebound, though the full academic picture won't be clear until English Language Arts results are released in December.

560

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,805

Per pupil spending ?

65.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

841 Brannan Rd
McDonough, GA 30253

(770) 898-0107

District: Henry County

Students who attend Hickory Flat Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Union Grove Middle
High:	Union Grove High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.6%

Hispanic:

10.2%

Two or more races:

5.4%

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Compare Hickory Flat Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (26% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg34%

Georgia avg47%

1,043^rd of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 28 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 28Elementary Schools in the Henry County

142^nd of 202Henry 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	17.5	1043 of 1222	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	951 of 1238	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.8	927 of 1236	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	875 of 1223	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.2	720 of 1220	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.4	588 of 1214	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.5	697 of 1234	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.6	788 of 1209	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.3	673 of 1205	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.0	706 of 1233	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	57.3	479 of 1240	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.2	437 of 1231	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	77.1	259 of 1225	78.9%	★★★★☆
2012	77.2	244 of 1201	79.7%	★★★★☆
2011	63.3	521 of 1212	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.5	363 of 1183	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.0	362 of 1133	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.9	400 of 1134	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	49.3	663 of 1125	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.4	643 of 1101	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	22.1	695 of 829	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.8	551 of 892	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.0	574 of 879	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	529 of 870	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.3	355 of 876	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	21.1	962 of 1189	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	955 of 1224	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	919 of 1223	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.8	867 of 1212	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.8	683 of 1206	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	1035 of 1186	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.7	915 of 1225	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.0	939 of 1220	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	863 of 1210	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.0	743 of 1209	38.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)19th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)16th percentile~ school

Male (2026)13th percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics27%-20 vs state

Science21%-24 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, January 25, 2020

School counselors make derogatory comments without proof to child protective services for Black foster parents. Instead of calling a meeting wit parent they report them. When a white child pulls down his pants on bus, it goes unpunished Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, July 23, 2017

Lots of learning and loving going on here! Close Quote

Schools Near Hickory Flat 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)	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
Hickory Flat Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	841 Brannan Rd	McDonough	30253	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 898-0107	560	38	14.5	65.9%	21 (3.8%)	418 (74.6%)	57 (10.2%)	29 (5.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (5.4%)	17.5	1043^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	14.6%		23.6	951^st of 1238 public elementary schools	23.2%	92	25.7	31.7	24.4	20.7	$13,805	$421	$13,384
Flippen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Peach Dr	McDonough	30253	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	No	(770) 954-3522	559	44	12.6	69.6%	63 (11.3%)	351 (62.8%)	99 (17.7%)	21 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.3%)	25.6	900^th of 1222 public elementary schools	26.4%		38	711^th of 1238 public elementary schools	42.6%	189	36.4	40.9	18.7	24.4	$15,711	$522	$15,188
East Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	199 E Lake Rd	McDonough	30252	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	No	(678) 583-8947	671	47	14.2	46.3%	162 (24.1%)	338 (50.4%)	76 (11.3%)	40 (6.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.9%)	74.5	278^th of 1222 public elementary schools	77.3%		78.7	247^th of 1238 public elementary schools	80.0%	31	64.3	70.9	53.9	46.8	$14,024	$404	$13,619
Walnut Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3535 McDonough Pkwy	McDonough	30253	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 288-8561	712	49	14.5	74.7%	33 (4.6%)	536 (75.3%)	79 (11.1%)	12 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.0%)	21	971^st of 1222 public elementary schools	20.5%		20.4	989^th of 1238 public elementary schools	20.1%	18	26.5	29.3	28.4	28.3	$14,990	$1,074	$13,916
Pleasant Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Reagan Rd	Stockbridge	30281	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 898-0176	522	36	14.5	73.9%	92 (17.6%)	281 (53.8%)	98 (18.8%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.4%)	33.6	777^th of 1222 public elementary schools	36.4%		28.8	860^th of 1238 public elementary schools	30.5%	83	27.1	22.3	41.1	44.5	$14,265	$652	$13,613
Birch Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	850 Willow Lane	McDonough	30253	Henry County	Henry County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(770) 957-6601	745	47	16.0	74.4%	34 (4.6%)	506 (67.9%)	164 (22.0%)	10 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.9%)	11.9	1128^th of 1222 public elementary schools	7.7%					(n/a)	23.1	20.7	16.0	23.0	$12,776	$1,016	$11,760
Wesley Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	685 McDonough Pkwy	McDonough	30253	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 914-1889	564	38	15.0	83.3%	8 (1.4%)	463 (82.1%)	52 (9.2%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.5%)	11.8	1131^st of 1222 public elementary schools	7.4%		16.6	1058^th of 1238 public elementary schools	14.5%	73	22.1	25.9	17.5	17.5	$14,300	$1,024	$13,276
Cotton Indian Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Old Conyers Rd	Stockbridge	30281	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 474-9983	545	40	13.5	80.4%	62 (11.4%)	303 (55.6%)	128 (23.5%)	13 (2.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.4%)	15.8	1066^th of 1222 public elementary schools	12.8%		18.2	1026^th of 1238 public elementary schools	17.1%	40	19.6	28.3	25.8	22.6	$15,523	$1,023	$14,499
Woodland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	830 Moseley Dr	Stockbridge	30281	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	No	(770) 506-6391	491	37	13.3	68.4%	82 (16.7%)	313 (63.7%)	59 (12.0%)	9 (1.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.1%)	35.4	747^th of 1222 public elementary schools	38.9%		27.2	887^th of 1238 public elementary schools	28.4%	140	44.3	50.0	19.5	31.0	$15,775	$393	$15,381
Stockbridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	4617 N Henry Blvd	Stockbridge	30281	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 474-8743	485	35	13.8	80.6%	14 (2.9%)	279 (57.5%)	148 (30.5%)	17 (3.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.9%)								(n/a)	37.3				$16,165	$1,047	$15,118

Frequently Asked Questions about Hickory Flat Elementary School

What district is Hickory Flat Elementary School in?

Henry County

Is Hickory Flat Elementary School a good school?

Hickory Flat Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.6% of Georgia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Hickory Flat Elementary School?

Students at Hickory Flat Elementary School are 75% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 4% White.

How many students attend Hickory Flat Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 560 students attended Hickory Flat Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Hickory Flat Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hickory Flat Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Union Grove Middle
High : Union Grove High

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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.