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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.

Matthew Arthur Elementary School

Q: Is Matthew Arthur Elementary School a good school?

Matthew Arthur Elementary School ranks 126 th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

126^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Matthew Arthur Elementary School in Kathleen, GA, serves 450 students in grades PK through 5 and has earned a reputation as one of the top-performing elementary schools in the Houston County district, consistently ranking in the 90th percentile statewide for the past decade.

What truly sets Matthew Arthur apart is its exceptional academic performance. In the most recent testing cycle, proficiency rates in Math and Science ran 20 to 30 percentage points higher than state averages. For example, 4th-grade Math proficiency hit 74.4% compared to 50.1% statewide, and 5th-grade Science reached 76.2% versus 44.2% for Georgia. The school also posts outstanding results for all student groups, with African American students ranking in the 96th percentile statewide—a 5-star performance. While nearby Bonaire Elementary School also performs well (92nd percentile), Matthew Arthur generally edges it out in Science and several other subjects. The contrast is even starker with Morningside Elementary School, where proficiency rates often fall below state averages. Notably, Matthew Arthur achieves these results with a free/reduced lunch rate of 36.44%, showing that its success isn't simply tied to demographics.

Beyond test scores, Matthew Arthur excels at keeping students engaged. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 7.2%—less than half the district rate of 15.6% and the state's 17.7%. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $14,997 per pupil with a favorable 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio. This investment pays off, especially when compared to schools like David A. Perdue Primary and Morningside, which spend more per student but achieve far lower results. Matthew Arthur is paired with Matt Arthur Primary School just 0.9 miles away, which also boasts low absenteeism (8.8%), creating a strong educational pipeline from the earliest grades. For parents seeking a school with proven, consistent excellence, Matthew Arthur is a standout choice.

450

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,997

Per pupil spending ?

36.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2500 Ga Highway 127
Kathleen, GA 31047

(478) 988-6170

District: Houston County

Students who attend Matthew Arthur Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bonaire Middle School
High:	Veterans High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.1%

African American:

27.8%

Hispanic:

8.0%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Matthew Arthur Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (71% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Georgia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg50%

Georgia avg47%

126^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 19Elementary Schools in the Houston County

66^th of 202Houston 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	90.0	126 of 1222	89.7%	★★★★☆
2025	93.8	86 of 1238	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	94.6	70 of 1236	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	91.4	118 of 1223	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	95.7	66 of 1220	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	96.4	49 of 1214	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	89.6	120 of 1234	90.3%	★★★★★
2018	85.3	159 of 1209	86.8%	★★★★☆
2017	87.8	131 of 1205	89.1%	★★★★☆
2016	76.4	252 of 1233	79.6%	★★★★☆
2015	77.6	236 of 1240	81.0%	★★★★☆
2014	77.3	245 of 1231	80.1%	★★★★☆
2013	80.4	191 of 1225	84.4%	★★★★☆
2012	77.7	234 of 1201	80.5%	★★★★☆
2011	83.7	128 of 1212	89.4%	★★★★☆
2010	85.5	95 of 1183	92.0%	★★★★★
2009	87.9	72 of 1133	93.6%	★★★★★
2008	81.9	140 of 1134	87.7%	★★★★☆
2007	82.8	130 of 1125	88.4%	★★★★☆
2006	81.0	143 of 1101	87.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	94.2	36 of 829	95.7%	★★★★★
2025	90.0	61 of 892	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	97.4	23 of 879	97.4%	★★★★★
2023	95.7	32 of 870	96.3%	★★★★★
2022	98.5	13 of 876	98.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	88.8	131 of 1189	89.0%	★★★★☆
2025	93.0	82 of 1224	93.3%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	86 of 1223	93.0%	★★★★★
2023	90.3	121 of 1212	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	96.5	43 of 1206	96.4%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	99.3	3 of 583	99.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	89.4	129 of 1186	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	93.3	88 of 1225	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	94.8	67 of 1220	94.5%	★★★★★
2023	90.7	114 of 1210	90.6%	★★★★★
2022	93.0	85 of 1209	93.0%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	81.3	10 of 56	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	75.8	7 of 39	82.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	79.7	74 of 466	84.1%	★★★★☆
2025	77.8	82 of 565	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.9	64 of 487	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	68 of 455	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	45 of 415	89.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	77.2	167 of 703	76.2%	★★★★☆
2025	88.8	69 of 769	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	88.9	56 of 772	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	79.8	151 of 775	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	88.6	67 of 779	91.4%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2025)99th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)96th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)89th percentile~ school

Female (2026)89th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)84th percentile-6 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)82nd percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Science76%+32 vs state

Mathematics70%+22 vs state

4.5

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, August 31, 2012

This school has went from being an above average school to just average. If it weren't for the great teachers it would definitely be a below average school. I have had more problems with this school this year than I have had the entire seven years we have attended. Again, the teachers are great; however, the administration (exception Dr. McDuffie) and the office staff are rude and unorganized. There used to be a sweet atmosphere in the school and now I'm lucky to even see anyone smile. I am highly disappointed in what MAE has become. "It feels like a prison" is what my child told me. How sad!!! Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, August 12, 2011

My child is autistic and entered MAES near the end of the school year (2011). He was in Kindergarten. After an interview with the principal, Mrs. Jolie Hardin, he was placed with Mrs. Joni Shannon and Mrs. Collins. He blossomed under their care! No one knew that he was autistic at his last school until the very end, so they treated him as a problem child. Not so with Mrs. Shannon! She is fully trained to handle autistic children in the mainstream classroom, and does so beautifully! Thank goodness the school decided to cycle Mrs. Shannon and her whole class together for 1st grade! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, May 30, 2011

I had 3 children who attended this school and can't think of one bad thing to say. The teachers and administration are all wonderful. They provide a great learning environment for the students. The PTO is very active and provides fun activities for the students. Without question, this is the best elementary school in Houston County. Close Quote

Schools Near Matthew Arthur 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
Matthew Arthur Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Ga Highway 127	Kathleen	31047	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6170	450	30	15.2	36.4%	239 (53.1%)	125 (27.8%)	36 (8.0%)	13 (2.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.6%)	90	126^th of 1222 public elementary schools	89.7%		93.8	86^th of 1238 public elementary schools	93.1%	40	62.7	74.4	72.6	76.2	$14,997	$506	$14,492
Matt Arthur Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	150 Talton Road	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 217-1376	521	35	14.8	44.3%	256 (49.1%)	159 (30.5%)	52 (10.0%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.6%)								(n/a)					$14,029	$621	$13,407
Langston Road Elementary School	Public	3-5	315 Langston Rd	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6160	473	31	15.3	62.2%	249 (52.6%)	146 (30.9%)	34 (7.2%)	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	31 (6.6%)	77.8	245^th of 1222 public elementary schools	80.0%		85.3	182^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	85.3%	63	53.4	62.0	61.6	61.7	$15,343	$577	$14,767
Langston Road Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	325 Langston Road	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 988-6160	526	36	14.7	77.8%	234 (44.5%)	163 (31.0%)	66 (12.5%)	12 (2.3%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	44 (8.4%)								(n/a)					$14,199	$559	$13,640
Hilltop Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Robert Bryson Smith Pkwy	Bonaire	31005	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 929-6113	590	41	14.3	71.7%	279 (47.3%)	170 (28.8%)	66 (11.2%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (11.4%)	73.7	288^th of 1222 public elementary schools	76.4%		79.6	241^st of 1238 public elementary schools	80.5%	47	68.2	56.6	54.6	50.0	$14,795	$882	$13,913
David A. Perdue Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	150 Jerry Barker Dr	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 218-7500	716	45	15.9	73.9%	266 (37.2%)	274 (38.3%)	78 (10.9%)	27 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	66 (9.2%)								(n/a)					$15,884	$914	$14,970
David A. Perdue Elementary School	Public	3-5	115 Sutherlin Dr	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6350	617	39	15.9	63.4%	238 (38.6%)	228 (37.0%)	72 (11.7%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (8.3%)	60.9	417^th of 1222 public elementary schools	65.9%		66.5	370^th of 1238 public elementary schools	70.1%	47	38.5	57.1	52.4	51.0	$13,128	$626	$12,502
Kings Chapel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	460 Arena Rd	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 988-6273	690	44	15.5	43.6%	502 (72.8%)	110 (15.9%)	39 (5.7%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.8%)	77.5	247^th of 1222 public elementary schools	79.8%		82.6	206^th of 1238 public elementary schools	83.4%	41	60.4	64.7	51.2	59.6	$12,869	$443	$12,426
Bonaire Elementary School	Public	3-5	101 Elm St	Bonaire	31005	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 929-7826	547	35	15.7	38.9%	315 (57.6%)	116 (21.2%)	51 (9.3%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.2%)	93.1	95^th of 1222 public elementary schools	92.2%		91.1	118^th of 1238 public elementary schools	90.5%	23	73.4	84.3	70.1	68.0	$12,634	$406	$12,229
Morningside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1206 Morningside Dr	Perry	31069	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 988-6261	488	37	13.1	100.0%	106 (21.7%)	320 (65.6%)	22 (4.5%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.2%)	54.8	503^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	58.8%		53.9	515^th of 1238 public elementary schools	58.4%	12	43.7	44.7	47.4	50.0	$15,460	$1,011	$14,449

Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew Arthur Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Matthew Arthur Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Matthew Arthur Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bonaire Middle School
High : Veterans High School

Is Matthew Arthur Elementary School a good school?

Matthew Arthur Elementary School ranks 126^th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Matthew Arthur Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 450 students attended Matthew Arthur Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Matthew Arthur Elementary School?

Students at Matthew Arthur Elementary School are 53% White, 28% African American, 8% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Matthew Arthur Elementary School in?

Houston 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.