Carver Elementary School

Carver Elementary School in Wadley, GA, is a small PK-5 school in the Jefferson County district, serving 197 students in a high-poverty area where 100% of students receive free or reduced lunch. The school has made a remarkable turnaround this year, jumping from the 21st percentile to the 50th percentile in statewide rankings—its best performance in nearly a decade—and earning a 2-star rating.

The most exciting news for parents is the explosive growth in early-grade math. In 3rd grade, 73.3% of Carver students are now proficient in math, compared to just 26.9% at nearby Louisville Academy School and 48.3% statewide. That's a 46-point advantage over the neighboring school and a 25-point edge over the state average. The momentum continues in 4th grade, where 57.7% of Carver students are proficient in math, again outpacing both the district (43.3%) and the state (50.1%). The school also ranks in the 68th percentile for its African American students, showing particularly strong results for that group. Chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from 27.9% to 17.8%, now below the district average and nearly matching the state.

However, there is a clear challenge ahead. The success in 3rd and 4th grade does not carry into 5th grade, where math proficiency falls to 29.6%—well below the state average of 44.1%—and science proficiency sits at just 21.4%. This suggests the recent improvements are benefiting younger students first, and the current 5th graders may not have had access to the same interventions. The school spends a substantial $20,302 per student, significantly more than the $15,904 spent at Louisville Academy, and that investment appears to be paying off in the lower grades. The key question for parents is whether Carver can sustain this upward trajectory as these high-performing cohorts move through the upper grades.