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Hilltop Elementary School

Q: Is Hilltop Elementary School a good school?

Hilltop Elementary School ranks 288 th of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

288^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,219 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Hilltop Elementary School in Bonaire, GA, serves 590 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the Houston County School District, and has earned a solid reputation as a consistently strong 4-star school for the past decade. What makes Hilltop particularly noteworthy is that it achieves above-average results while serving a student body where about 72% qualify for free or reduced lunch—a much higher rate than nearby schools like Bonaire Elementary School (39%) or Matthew Arthur Elementary School (36%). Despite this demographic difference, Hilltop’s math scores are competitive: 3rd graders hit 68.2% proficiency (compared to the district’s 50.8% and state’s 48.3%), and 5th graders reached 54.6%—both well above averages. The school also excels with its African American students, ranking in the top quintile statewide for that group.

One of the most compelling stories is the comparison with Bonaire Elementary School, located just 1.23 miles away. Bonaire holds a 5-star rating and ranks higher overall, but it serves a much less economically disadvantaged population. Hilltop’s ability to keep pace—especially in 3rd grade math, where it trails Bonaire by only about 5 points—suggests effective teaching strategies that help close the opportunity gap. Hilltop also stands out for its improving attendance: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 16.2% to 11.4% over three years, now well below the district (15.6%) and state (17.7%) averages. The school spends about $14,795 per student, which is higher than Bonaire’s $12,634 but delivers stronger results than several higher-spending schools in the area.

Parents should know that Hilltop’s performance is stable and reliable—its statewide ranking has stayed between the 74th and 87th percentiles for a decade, never dipping below 4 stars. While 5th grade science (50% proficient) is an area for growth after a strong previous year, math remains a clear strength across all grade levels. The school’s special education students (57th percentile) and White students (64th percentile) show room for improvement, but the overall picture is of a school that consistently outperforms expectations given its student demographics. For families seeking a dependable, high-performing elementary school in the Bonaire area, Hilltop is a strong choice.

590

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,795

Per pupil spending ?

71.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

301 Robert Bryson Smith Pkwy
Bonaire, GA 31005

(478) 929-6113

District: Houston County

Students who attend Hilltop Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bonaire Middle School
High:	Veterans High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.3%

African American:

28.8%

Two or more races:

11.4%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Hilltop Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

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.

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 76th percentile in 2016 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (57% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Georgia elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg50%

Georgia avg47%

288^th of 1,219

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 19Elementary Schools in the Houston County

65^th of 201Houston 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	73.7	288 of 1219	76.4%	★★★★☆
2025	79.6	241 of 1238	80.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	296 of 1236	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.1	250 of 1223	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.3	181 of 1220	85.2%	★★★★☆
2021	85.6	158 of 1214	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	72.7	297 of 1234	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	319 of 1209	73.6%	★★★★☆
2017	71.9	295 of 1205	75.5%	★★★★☆
2016	72.6	293 of 1233	76.2%	★★★★☆
2015	71.9	292 of 1240	76.5%	★★★★☆
2014	63.4	529 of 1231	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.8	534 of 1225	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	68.3	417 of 1201	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	75.0	309 of 1212	74.5%	★★★★☆
2010	74.1	297 of 1183	74.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	69.6	170 of 828	79.5%	★★★★☆
2025	84.5	101 of 892	88.7%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	196 of 879	77.7%	★★★★☆
2023	67.6	203 of 870	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	83.0	114 of 876	87.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	73.4	270 of 1186	77.2%	★★★★☆
2025	79.1	234 of 1224	80.9%	★★★★☆
2024	82.3	203 of 1223	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	207 of 1212	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	156 of 1206	87.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	71.5	297 of 1183	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	78.0	245 of 1225	80.0%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	392 of 1220	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.1	299 of 1210	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	82.1	207 of 1209	82.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	51.9	200 of 465	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.7	138 of 565	75.6%	★★★★☆
2024	56.2	168 of 487	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.3	164 of 455	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.2	85 of 415	79.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	64.4	250 of 700	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.5	303 of 769	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.9	323 of 772	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	221 of 775	71.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.9	186 of 779	76.1%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2026)79th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)77th percentile~ school

Male (2026)75th percentile~ school

White (2026)64th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2026)57th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics60%+12 vs state

Science50%+6 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, August 21, 2011

This place is a joke. They only teach what is on the CRCT and that is IT!!!! That is why the school ranks so high for ratings and why they say Houston County has some of the best schools. Teach them things they will need for this age. Close Quote

Schools Near Hilltop 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	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
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 1219 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
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 1219 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
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%)	60.8	416^th of 1219 public elementary schools	65.9%		66.5	370^th of 1238 public elementary schools	70.1%	46	38.5	57.1	52.4	51.0	$13,128	$626	$12,502
Bonaire Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	535 Thompson Mill Rd	Bonaire	31005	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(478) 922-2194	564	40	14.2	43.8%	298 (52.8%)	136 (24.1%)	73 (12.9%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.3%)								(n/a)					$14,580	$686	$13,893
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
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
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 1219 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
Russell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Patriot Way	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 929-7830	576	46	12.6	100.0%	162 (28.1%)	238 (41.3%)	116 (20.1%)	17 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.3%)	62	410^th of 1219 public elementary schools	66.4%		62	414^th of 1238 public elementary schools	66.6%	4	45.1	57.5	47.5	51.3	$15,250	$855	$14,395
Shirley Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Mary Ln	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 929-7824	565	40	14.0	100.0%	161 (28.5%)	288 (51.0%)	52 (9.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (10.3%)	48.4	565^th of 1219 public elementary schools	53.7%		61.7	417^th of 1238 public elementary schools	66.3%	148	48.0	40.7	38.4	46.8	$15,179	$1,083	$14,096
C. B. Watson Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	61 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd	Warner Robins	31088	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 929-6360	618	40	15.3	100.0%	67 (10.8%)	394 (63.8%)	110 (17.8%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.5%)								(n/a)					$14,713	$1,055	$13,658

Frequently Asked Questions about Hilltop Elementary School

How many students attend Hilltop Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 590 students attended Hilltop Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Hilltop Elementary School?

Students at Hilltop Elementary School are 47% White, 29% African American, 11% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Hilltop Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Bonaire Middle School
High : Veterans High School

What district is Hilltop Elementary School in?

Houston County

Is Hilltop Elementary School a good school?

Hilltop Elementary School ranks 288^th of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Hilltop Elementary School!

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresNewAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)NewAug 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.