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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.

S.L. Mason Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1051^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

S.L. Mason Elementary School is a large Pre-K through 5th grade school in Valdosta, GA, serving 881 students in a community where nearly 98% of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

For parents considering this school, the most important thing to know is that S.L. Mason faces significant academic challenges. The school consistently ranks in the bottom fifth of elementary schools in Georgia and has received a 1-star rating for most of the past decade. In the most recent testing year, 3rd-grade math proficiency was 22%, compared to the state average of 48.3%. This gap is especially striking when you look at nearby schools in the Lowndes County district, just a few miles away. For example, Hahira Elementary School posted 81.1% proficiency in 3rd-grade math, and Westside Elementary School reached 60.7%. Even within its own Valdosta City district, S.L. Mason ranks lower than Sallas Mahone Elementary, which sits at the 35th percentile compared to S.L. Mason's 14th.

There are a few bright spots worth noting. S.L. Mason's 5th-grade science proficiency (31.7%) was its highest score across all subjects and grades, and it was the only subject where the school beat its district average. The school also spends more per student ($13,248) than the state average, which is comparable to higher-performing Lowndes County schools. Chronic absenteeism, while high at 23.4%, is actually better than the Valdosta City district average of 24.9%, though it remains far above the 4.8% rate at Hahira. The school's ranking has also stabilized in recent years after dipping from a high of the 31st percentile in 2021-2022. For parents, this picture suggests a school working hard in a high-need environment, but one where the surrounding district differences—especially in attendance and poverty levels—play a major role in outcomes.

881

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,248

Per pupil spending ?

98%

Free/discounted lunch ?

821 W Gordon St
Valdosta, GA 31601

(229) 333-8525

District: Valdosta City

Students who attend S.L. Mason Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Valdosta Middle School
High:	Valdosta High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

67.8%

Hispanic:

13.4%

White:

11.0%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare S.L. Mason Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (25% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg28%

Georgia avg47%

1,051^st of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Valdosta City

173^rd of 202Valdosta City 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	16.7	1051 of 1222	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.6	1018 of 1238	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	1019 of 1236	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.0	954 of 1223	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	855 of 1220	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.9	840 of 1214	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.9	984 of 1234	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.9	1022 of 1209	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.0	1019 of 1205	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.9	883 of 1233	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.9	815 of 1240	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.6	719 of 1231	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.9	827 of 1225	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	44.6	796 of 1201	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.0	889 of 1212	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.1	859 of 1183	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	22.8	685 of 829	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.3	813 of 892	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	755 of 879	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	635 of 870	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.8	504 of 876	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	18.5	1006 of 1189	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.9	1054 of 1224	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.4	1057 of 1223	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	961 of 1212	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.6	809 of 1206	32.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	24.9	401 of 504	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	44.0	313 of 583	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	326 of 565	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.7	446 of 535	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	1030 of 1186	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.0	975 of 1225	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	985 of 1220	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.3	926 of 1210	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.6	872 of 1209	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	372 of 466	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.7	460 of 565	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	358 of 487	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	317 of 455	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.2	347 of 415	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	567 of 769	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	589 of 772	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.4	493 of 775	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.6	552 of 779	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2025)26th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)20th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2026)20th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2026)17th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)15th percentile~ school

Male (2026)13th percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Science32%-13 vs state

Mathematics22%-25 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, September 10, 2023

I would give them 0 stars if possible. If your child(ren) have special needs do everything possible to avoid this school! 504 Acommodations are not implemented and the teachers will lie to your face about it. The principal backs his staff 100 no matter what and he will lie straight to your face too, ALTHOUGH as a principal his job is supposed to be to support WHATEVER is in the BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. They love to promise all sorts of things then do the complete opposite, or promise one thing in a meeting then try to cover up their mistakes by claiming that's not what they said. GET EVERYTHING RECORDED OR IN WRITING!!
They have bullied, harrassed and singled out my family since day one. NOTHING is more important to them than attendance, EVEN with documented medical concerns. They have me in a constant state of severe anxiety. NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TAKING CARE OF MEDICAL NEEDS BEFORE SCHOOL AND BEING LATE OR IGNORING MEDICAL CARE JUST TO GET THEIR KID TO SCHOOL ON TIME FOR FEAR OF HAVING DFCS CONTACTED AND/OR TRUENCY COURT.
I pray every day for a miracle to get us out of that absolutely pathetic excuse of a school. If your child has any special needs avoid this school at all costs!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, March 19, 2016

This school doesn't even deserve 1 star. Some of the staff are unprofessional and slack in many areas. My son is in the 2nd grade and has autism. He Has been to 4 other schools before this one and I have never had to deal with problems at another school like I have at S.L. Mason. The communication between me and the school is poor and nonexistent. I do not get called when my son has an emergency situation. Instead of coming to me about their "concerns" they report to DFCS. I've spoken with the principals about this and there still is no improvement. If you have a special needs child, don't enroll him/her in this school unless you want to deal with DFCS, miscommunication, and a cold-shoulder all year long. Close Quote

Schools Near S.L. Mason 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
S.L. Mason Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	821 W Gordon St	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8525	881	59	15.0	98.0%	97 (11.0%)	597 (67.8%)	118 (13.4%)	16 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.8%)	16.7	1051^st of 1222 public elementary schools	14.0%		18.6	1018^th of 1238 public elementary schools	17.8%	33	22.0	25.0	20.0	31.7	$13,248	$1,248	$12,000
Pinevale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	930 Lake Park Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8535	565	39	14.4	96.3%	19 (3.4%)	485 (85.8%)	45 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.5%)	12.9	1118^th of 1222 public elementary schools	8.5%		12.6	1139^th of 1238 public elementary schools	8.0%	21	30.3	29.4	3.1	12.3	$15,757	$2,870	$12,887
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2470 James Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	No	(229) 245-2289	904	63	14.3	65.2%	528 (58.4%)	188 (20.8%)	101 (11.2%)	40 (4.4%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (4.8%)	88.5	144^th of 1222 public elementary schools	88.2%		88.4	145^th of 1238 public elementary schools	88.3%	1	60.7	80.1	69.8	65.8	$13,149	$437	$12,713
W.G. Nunn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1610 Lakeland Ave	Valdosta	31602	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8515	974	70	13.9	97.5%	43 (4.4%)	838 (86.0%)	60 (6.2%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (2.7%)	18.8	1016^th of 1222 public elementary schools	16.9%		11.8	1148^th of 1238 public elementary schools	7.3%	132	24.2	23.5	27.9	28.6	$13,877	$1,876	$12,001
J. L. Lomax Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1450 Howell Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8520	576	42	13.7	97.7%	8 (1.4%)	461 (80.0%)	91 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.8%)	20.9	973^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	20.4%		12.7	1138^th of 1238 public elementary schools	8.1%	165	31.0	21.2	24.4	32.0	$14,226	$2,421	$11,804
Dewar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3539 Mount Zion Church Rd	Valdosta	31605	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	No	(229) 219-1370	821	60	13.6	75.8%	272 (33.1%)	330 (40.2%)	119 (14.5%)	17 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (10.0%)	77.8	242^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	80.2%		60.6	427^th of 1238 public elementary schools	65.5%	185	65.1	53.7	54.1	66.9	$12,132	$573	$11,559
Moulton-Branch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5725 Inner Perimeter Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 245-2294	594	52	11.5	100.0%	308 (51.9%)	119 (20.0%)	121 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (7.4%)	70.7	316^th of 1222 public elementary schools	74.1%		59.4	445^th of 1238 public elementary schools	64.1%	129	62.8	66.6	47.5	45.0	$14,040	$1,269	$12,771
Sallas Mahone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3686 Lake Laurie Dr	Valdosta	31605	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8530	1,045	72	14.5	81.2%	130 (12.4%)	716 (68.5%)	108 (10.3%)	38 (3.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (5.0%)	32.7	791^st of 1222 public elementary schools	35.3%		35.5	745^th of 1238 public elementary schools	39.8%	46	39.2	41.3	31.5	29.7	$12,467	$793	$11,674
Pine Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4175 River Rd	Valdosta	31605	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 245-2297	756	55	13.7	77.6%	370 (48.9%)	219 (29.0%)	89 (11.8%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	69 (9.1%)	71.8	303^rd of 1222 public elementary schools	75.2%		80.2	233^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	81.2%	70	59.0	73.7	42.6	53.3	$12,428	$1,205	$11,222
Clyattville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5386 Madison Hwy	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 316-8602	614	54	11.3		287 (46.7%)	137 (22.3%)	152 (24.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	81.3	212^th of 1222 public elementary schools	82.7%		73.2	294^th of 1238 public elementary schools	76.3%	82	70.1	58.6	59.8	59.8	$15,426	$1,449	$13,977

Frequently Asked Questions about S.L. Mason Elementary School

What schools do graduates of S.L. Mason Elementary School attend?

Students who attend S.L. Mason Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Valdosta Middle School
High : Valdosta High School

What is the racial makeup of S.L. Mason Elementary School?

Students at S.L. Mason Elementary School are 68% African American, 13% Hispanic, 11% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is S.L. Mason Elementary School in?

Valdosta City

Is S.L. Mason Elementary School a good school?

S.L. Mason Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Georgia elementary schools.

How many students attend S.L. Mason Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 881 students attended S.L. Mason Elementary School.

Rate S.L. Mason 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.