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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.

Dearing Elementary School

Q: Is Dearing Elementary School a good school?

Dearing Elementary School ranks 783 rd of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

783^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Dearing Elementary School serves 414 students in Pre-K through 5th grade in the small town of Dearing, Georgia, as part of the McDuffie County school district.

Dearing Elementary stands out most for its 5th grade math performance. In the most recent testing year, 44.1% of 5th graders scored proficient in math—exactly matching the state average and far exceeding the district average of 31%. This strength has been consistent, with the school posting 51.6% proficiency in 2024-2025 and an exceptional 63.5% in 2022-2023, nearly double the district rate. The school also keeps chronic absenteeism well below the district average (18.0% vs. 24.7% in the latest year), a positive sign given that about 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. When compared to nearby Norris Elementary School, Dearing outperforms in most subjects—for example, 5th grade math proficiency of 44.1% versus Norris's 24.8%, and 5th grade science of 32.2% versus 30.7%. The school spends $14,940 per student, which is higher than many schools in the neighboring Columbia County district, such as Baker Place Elementary ($12,091) and North Harlem Elementary ($12,066).

However, there are areas of concern. The school's state ranking dropped from 502nd in 2024-2025 to 781st in 2025-2026, a decline of nearly 280 positions, with 4th grade math falling from 47% to 29.2% proficiency. Science has also been a persistent challenge—only 32.2% of 5th graders were proficient in 2025-2026, below the state average of 44.2%, and the school has never exceeded 35% in recent years. While Dearing's overall performance is stronger than its McDuffie County peers, it trails schools in higher-performing Columbia County, where schools like North Columbia Elementary post math proficiency rates of 70-84%. That gap is closely tied to socioeconomic factors—Columbia County schools have free/reduced lunch rates around 30%, while Dearing's is 80%. Notably, Grovetown Elementary, with a 66.85% free/reduced lunch rate, posts math scores of 41.8-55.3%, which are more comparable to Dearing's performance. Despite the recent dip, the longer-term trend is encouraging—the school improved its state ranking by 267 positions from 2018-2019 through 2024-2025, suggesting a solid foundation for continued growth.

414

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,940

Per pupil spending ?

80%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 Main St N
Dearing, GA 30808

(706) 986-4900

District: McDuffie County

Students who attend Dearing Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Thomson-McDuffie Middle School
High:	Thomson High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.5%

African American:

23.7%

Hispanic:

11.1%

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Compare Dearing Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 36th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (35% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg31%

Georgia avg47%

783^rd of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 30 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the McDuffie County

150^th of 202McDuffie 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	33.1	783 of 1222	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.0	502 of 1238	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	516 of 1236	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.3	534 of 1223	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.7	599 of 1220	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.3	649 of 1214	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.5	769 of 1234	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.5	642 of 1209	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.1	565 of 1205	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.0	426 of 1233	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.8	536 of 1240	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	62.2	544 of 1231	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.5	751 of 1225	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.9	580 of 1201	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.8	624 of 1212	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.9	591 of 1183	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.0	403 of 1133	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.6	521 of 1134	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.0	391 of 1125	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	74.9	265 of 1101	75.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	209 of 892	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	249 of 879	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	52.9	338 of 870	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.5	430 of 876	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	663 of 1189	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.4	446 of 1224	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.4	511 of 1223	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.7	612 of 1212	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	737 of 1206	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	29.4	836 of 1186	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.1	559 of 1225	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.4	521 of 1220	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	481 of 1210	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.4	494 of 1209	59.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	14.6	635 of 703	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	28.2	564 of 769	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.1	526 of 772	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	476 of 775	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	533 of 779	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2025)77th percentile+17 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)10th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics36%-11 vs state

Science32%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dearing 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
Dearing Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Main St N	Dearing	30808	McDuffie County	McDuffie County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 986-4900	414	32	12.9	80.0%	238 (57.5%)	98 (23.7%)	46 (11.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.5%)	33.1	783^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	35.9%		55	502^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	59.5%	281	36.6	29.2	44.1	32.2	$14,940	$1,504	$13,436
North Harlem Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	360 W Trippe St	Harlem	30814	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 556-5995	930	62	15.1	53.2%	594 (63.9%)	155 (16.7%)	97 (10.4%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	74 (8.0%)	55.1	500^th of 1222 public elementary schools	59.1%		65.8	379^th of 1238 public elementary schools	69.4%	121	48.0	60.2	38.1	40.5	$12,066	$696	$11,370
Norris Elementary School	Public	4-5	1861 Harrison Rd SE	Thomson	30824	McDuffie County	McDuffie County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 986-4600	287	22	13.0	100.0%	53 (18.5%)	207 (72.1%)	7 (2.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.3%)	21	972^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	20.5%		29	853^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	31.1%	119		27.6	24.8	30.7	$16,150	$1,541	$14,608
Euchee Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	795 Louisville Rd	Grovetown	30813	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 556-4000	705	48	14.6	45.0%	334 (47.4%)	209 (29.6%)	101 (14.3%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (7.2%)	71.3	311^th of 1222 public elementary schools	74.5%		75.6	268^th of 1238 public elementary schools	78.4%	43	54.5	55.6	53.4	58.3	$12,920	$343	$12,577
Baker Place Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2011 Hero Way	Grovetown	30813	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	No	(706) 447-2115	958	63	15.3	40.2%	370 (38.6%)	344 (35.9%)	132 (13.8%)	10 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	100 (10.4%)	86.1	165^th of 1222 public elementary schools	86.5%		91.2	115^th of 1238 public elementary schools	90.7%	50	71.6	70.0	59.8	60.5	$12,091	$460	$11,631
Cedar Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Trudeau Trl	Grovetown	30813	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 447-2100	1,060	69	15.4	49.9%	372 (35.1%)	349 (32.9%)	202 (19.1%)	17 (1.6%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	112 (10.6%)	67	357^th of 1222 public elementary schools	70.8%		80.4	231^st of 1238 public elementary schools	81.3%	126	56.2	67.1	42.7	48.1	$11,723	$376	$11,347
Grovetown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Ford Ave	Grovetown	30813	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 863-0800	908	65	13.9	66.9%	254 (28.0%)	344 (37.9%)	175 (19.3%)	15 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	115 (12.7%)	57.7	459^th of 1222 public elementary schools	62.4%		65.5	382^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	69.1%	77	43.9	41.8	55.3	54.5	$12,414	$607	$11,807
North Columbia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2890 Ray Owens Rd	Appling	30802	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	No	(706) 541-1158	460	34	13.6	30.0%	379 (82.4%)	28 (6.1%)	26 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.4%)	96.1	51^st of 1222 public elementary schools	95.8%		94.1	82^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	93.4%	31	84.3	84.2	70.2	79.4	$15,588	$138	$15,449
Lewiston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5426 Hereford Farm Rd	Evans	30809	Columbia County	Columbia County	No	No	No	No	(706) 650-6064	614	43	14.4	30.9%	342 (55.7%)	131 (21.3%)	54 (8.8%)	21 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (10.6%)	94.6	80^th of 1222 public elementary schools	93.5%		94.5	76^th of 1238 public elementary schools	93.9%	4	80.0	78.9	75.6	69.4	$13,768	$524	$13,244
Blythe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	290 Church St	Blythe	30805	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 592-4090	333	27	12.4	100.0%	144 (43.2%)	130 (39.0%)	32 (9.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.5%)	34.7	759^th of 1222 public elementary schools	37.9%		33.4	788^th of 1238 public elementary schools	36.3%	29	32.1	41.3	29.4	44.1	$16,690	$1,468	$15,223

Frequently Asked Questions about Dearing Elementary School

Is Dearing Elementary School a good school?

Dearing Elementary School ranks 783^rd of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Dearing Elementary School in?

McDuffie County

What schools do graduates of Dearing Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Thomson-McDuffie Middle School
High : Thomson High School

What is the racial makeup of Dearing Elementary School?

Students at Dearing Elementary School are 57% White, 24% African American, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Dearing Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 414 students attended Dearing Elementary School.

Rate Dearing 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.