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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.

South Jackson Elementary School

Q: Is South Jackson Elementary School a good school?

South Jackson Elementary School ranks 528 th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

528^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

South Jackson Elementary School in Athens, GA, serves 715 students in Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Jackson County School District, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 81st percentile statewide.

One of the most impressive things about South Jackson is its work with special education students—the school ranks in the 82nd percentile statewide for this group, a 4-star result that stands out among elementary schools. The school has also made remarkable progress on attendance: chronic absenteeism dropped from 17.1% in 2022-2023 to just 7.2% in 2025-2026, which is less than half the state average of 17.7%. That improvement likely supports learning across the board. In 3rd grade math, proficiency reached 50.9%, slightly above the state average, though 4th and 5th grade math scores trail the state, and 5th grade science (39.4% proficient) has consistently lagged behind the state average of 44.2%. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.5:1 and spends $16,638 per student—notably less than nearby Clarke County schools like Cleveland Road Elementary ($30,137 per student) or Fowler Drive Elementary ($25,789), yet South Jackson achieves better or comparable results in several subjects.

There are areas to watch. Male students perform notably better than female students—a 22-percentile-point gap—and the school’s overall ranking (57th percentile, 3 stars) is below its district counterpart, East Jackson Elementary, which ranks in the 79th percentile. Even Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary, a school in a lower-ranked district with a similar percentage of students on free/reduced lunch, outperforms South Jackson in 3rd grade math (69.5% vs. 50.9%) and 5th grade science (60.3% vs. 39.4%). Still, South Jackson’s strong special education results, improving attendance, and efficient spending suggest a school with solid foundations—and clear room to grow in upper-grade math, science, and support for all student groups.

715

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,638

Per pupil spending ?

71.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1630 New Kings Bridge Rd
Athens, GA 30607

(706) 208-3552

District: Jackson County

Students who attend South Jackson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East Jackson Middle School
High:	East Jackson Comprehensive High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.6%

Hispanic:

19.0%

African American:

7.7%

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Compare South Jackson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 61st percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Georgia median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Jackson County's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg55%

Georgia avg47%

528^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Jackson County

39^th of 202Jackson 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	52.1	528 of 1222	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.2	532 of 1238	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.6	559 of 1236	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.6	503 of 1223	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.8	484 of 1220	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.7	535 of 1214	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.2	581 of 1234	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.8	519 of 1209	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	52.0	528 of 1205	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.5	478 of 1233	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.1	513 of 1240	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.5	468 of 1231	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.3	517 of 1225	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.8	468 of 1201	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.0	470 of 1212	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	72.6	315 of 1183	73.4%	★★★★☆
2009	67.9	376 of 1133	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.6	418 of 1134	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.8	351 of 1125	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.1	444 of 1101	59.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2022	58.0	75 of 283	73.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	667 of 1189	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.7	746 of 1224	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.7	592 of 1223	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.5	491 of 1212	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	428 of 1206	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	352 of 504	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.8	360 of 583	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	343 of 565	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	294 of 535	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.7	261 of 516	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	402 of 1186	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.3	387 of 1225	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	532 of 1220	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.6	505 of 1210	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.2	550 of 1209	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	75.5	84 of 466	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	62.8	152 of 565	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	49.7	209 of 487	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.8	285 of 455	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.8	140 of 415	66.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	27.2	540 of 703	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.6	556 of 769	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.7	600 of 772	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	521 of 775	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.9	531 of 779	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)82nd percentile+25 vs school

English Language Learner (2022)73rd percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)66th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)30th percentile-27 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics47%~ state avg

Science39%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Jackson 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
South Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1630 New Kings Bridge Rd	Athens	30607	Clarke County	Jackson County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 208-3552	715	62	11.5	71.2%	476 (66.6%)	55 (7.7%)	136 (19.0%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.6%)	52.1	528^th of 1222 public elementary schools	56.8%		52.2	532^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	57.0%	4	50.9	41.9	49.6	39.4	$16,638	$750	$15,888
East Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1531 Hoods Mill Rd	Commerce	30529	Jackson County	Jackson County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 336-7900	634	53	12.0	62.3%	455 (71.8%)	23 (3.6%)	110 (17.4%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.0%)	75.8	261^st of 1222 public elementary schools	78.6%		76.8	260^th of 1238 public elementary schools	79.0%	1	69.7	58.9	55.0	50.0	$14,884	$557	$14,327
Whitehead Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	555 Quailwood Dr	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-7296	632	66	9.5	99.1%	118 (18.7%)	209 (33.1%)	266 (42.1%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.6%)	47.4	586^th of 1222 public elementary schools	52.0%		41.7	662^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	46.5%	76	48.8	42.0	43.8	38.2	$22,563	$1,315	$21,248
Cleveland Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Cleveland Rd	Bogart	30622	Oconee County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5333	256	32	8.0	100.0%	41 (16.0%)	111 (43.4%)	69 (27.0%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	28 (10.9%)	48.3	570^th of 1222 public elementary schools	53.4%		29.9	834^th of 1238 public elementary schools	32.6%	264	55.3	22.2	47.4	42.1	$30,137	$1,676	$28,461
Jefferson Academy	Public	3-5	99 Dragon Dr	Jefferson	30549	Jackson County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 367-2300	935	61	15.2	31.0%	694 (74.2%)	55 (5.9%)	97 (10.4%)	25 (2.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	59 (6.3%)	90.2	124^th of 1222 public elementary schools	89.9%		87.8	150^th of 1238 public elementary schools	87.9%	26	73.0	70.0	73.5	63.7	$11,176	$330	$10,847
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	415 Hoschton St	Jefferson	30549	Jackson County	Jefferson City	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 367-8242	1,011	77	13.1	30.3%	760 (75.2%)	68 (6.7%)	104 (10.3%)	20 (2.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (5.5%)								(n/a)					$13,649	$476	$13,174
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Oglethorpe Ave	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 549-0762	563	56	10.1	100.0%	114 (20.2%)	182 (32.3%)	222 (39.4%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.4%)	36.1	735^th of 1222 public elementary schools	39.9%		24.2	937^th of 1238 public elementary schools	24.3%	202	45.8	39.2	27.3	34.9	$22,691	$1,439	$21,252
Fowler Drive Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Fowler Dr	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5330	366	43	8.5	100.0%	28 (7.7%)	143 (39.1%)	176 (48.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.4%)	27.4	875^th of 1222 public elementary schools	28.4%		24.1	940^th of 1238 public elementary schools	24.1%	65	43.6	45.7	23.8	17.7	$25,789	$1,782	$24,007
Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	757 N Chase St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-1081	492	44	11.1	74.4%	214 (43.5%)	189 (38.4%)	56 (11.4%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.5%)	80.9	213^th of 1222 public elementary schools	82.6%		77	257^th of 1238 public elementary schools	79.2%	44	69.5	57.9	58.8	60.3	$21,739	$1,207	$20,533
Judia Jackson Harris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Danielsville Rd	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5203	392	41	9.6	100.0%	17 (4.3%)	81 (20.7%)	288 (73.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	32.5	793^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	35.1%		28.9	859^th of 1238 public elementary schools	30.6%	66	46.5	42.9	32.6	17.6	$24,593	$1,818	$22,774

Frequently Asked Questions about South Jackson Elementary School

Is South Jackson Elementary School a good school?

South Jackson Elementary School ranks 528^th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of South Jackson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Jackson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Jackson Middle School
High : East Jackson Comprehensive High School

What is the racial makeup of South Jackson Elementary School?

Students at South Jackson Elementary School are 67% White, 19% Hispanic, 8% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What district is South Jackson Elementary School in?

Jackson County

How many students attend South Jackson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 715 students attended South Jackson Elementary School.

Rate South Jackson Elementary School!

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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.