Telfair County Elementary

Telfair County Elementary in Mc Rae Helena, GA, serves 793 students in Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Telfair County district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Telfair County Elementary is a school on the rise. Over the past six years, its state ranking has climbed from the 29th percentile to the 44th percentile, a jump of nearly 190 spots. The school’s biggest success story is 3rd grade math, where 54% of students met proficiency standards in the latest testing cycle—beating the state average of 48.3% and marking the second consecutive year of outperforming the state in this subject. The school has also made impressive strides in attendance: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 32.2% to 20.9% over three years, a 35% reduction that shows real progress in getting kids to school consistently. Per-student spending has also increased steadily, reaching $14,145 this year.

However, challenges remain, particularly in upper grades. While 3rd graders excel in math, only 29.5% of 5th graders are proficient—a gap of nearly 25 points compared to the state average. This pattern is consistent across recent years, suggesting a need for stronger support as students advance. When compared to nearby Wheeler County Elementary, Telfair actually outperforms in 3rd grade math (54% vs. 42.7%), but Wheeler pulls ahead significantly by 5th grade (53.2% vs. 29.5%). Similarly, Jeff Davis Elementary exceeds Telfair in most subjects despite spending less per student. The school also shows an unusual pattern where boys rank higher than girls in overall performance. While the school is clearly building momentum, sustaining early-grade gains through 5th grade will be key to its continued improvement.