Goshen Elementary School

Goshen Elementary School in Augusta, GA, serves approximately 437 students in grades PK through 5 within the Richmond County School District, a district that ranks in the bottom 11% of districts statewide.

Goshen’s most impressive achievement is its dramatic improvement in attendance. Only 12.6% of students were chronically absent in the most recent school year—less than half the district average of 30.3% and better than the state average of 17.7%. This marks a 45% reduction over four years, and it’s the best rate among all nearby schools, including Gracewood Elementary School (27.6%) and Deer Chase Elementary School (17.2%). The school also shows a bright spot in 5th grade science, where 22.6% of students are proficient—above the district average of 20.0% for the second straight year. This is notable because most nearby schools fall below the district average in science.

However, math proficiency remains a serious challenge, especially as students advance. In 3rd grade, 21.9% of Goshen students are proficient in math, near the district average. By 5th grade, that number drops to just 7.6%, far below the district’s 19.6% and a much steeper decline than peers like Deer Chase, which only drops 4.3 points across the same grades. This pattern has persisted for three years. Goshen spends $15,606 per student and maintains a favorable 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio, yet nearby McBean Elementary School—serving a similar high-poverty population—achieves dramatically better math scores (27.9% in 5th grade) with similar resources. The school’s success in reducing absenteeism and improving science suggests that recent efforts are taking hold, but closing the math gap will require focused instructional strategies, especially in the upper grades.