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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.

Center Elementary School

Q: Is Center Elementary School a good school?

Center Elementary School ranks 583 rd of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

583^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,219 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Center Elementary School in Waycross, GA, serves approximately 470 students in grades K-5 as part of the Ware County School District, a mid-tier district (67th percentile statewide) in a high-poverty community where nearly 96% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Center Elementary is a school on a clear upward trajectory. After dipping to the 37th percentile in 2022-2023, the school has climbed steadily to the 52nd percentile (3 stars) for 2025-2026—a 15-point improvement in just three years. This momentum is especially visible in 4th grade math, where 61.6% of students scored proficient or above, beating both the district (55.6%) and state (50.1%) averages for the third straight year. The school also stands out for its work with African American students, ranking in the 71st percentile statewide (4 stars) for that group—its highest subgroup ranking. Additionally, chronic absenteeism has stayed below district and state averages for five consecutive years (16.4% vs. 19.5% district and 17.7% state), a notable achievement given the school's poverty rate. The student-teacher ratio is a favorable 13.4:1, and per-student spending has risen to $14,702.

However, there are clear challenges. The most striking is a persistent gap between 4th and 5th grade math: while 4th graders shine, only 30.3% of 5th graders were proficient in 2025-2026, compared to 44.1% statewide—a 31-point gap that has persisted for three years. Fifth grade science also trails the state (36.8% vs. 44.2%) and lags every other elementary school in the district, including Waresboro Elementary (56.4%) and Ruskin Elementary (62.1%). There's also a gender gap: female students rank in the 58th percentile, while males sit at the 46th. Compared to nearby Pierce County schools like Midway Elementary (89th percentile) and Patterson Elementary (83rd), Center still has ground to cover—but its consistent year-over-year improvement is the most encouraging trend among Ware County elementary schools.

470

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,702

Per pupil spending ?

95.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2114 Dorothy St
Waycross, GA 31501

(912) 287-2366

District: Ware County

Students who attend Center Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Waycross Middle School
High:	Ware County High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.2%

White:

23.2%

Hispanic:

10.4%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Center Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 37th percentile in 2023 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 52nd (2026) from a 37th-percentile low (2023)

✓Above the Georgia median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Ware County's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg47%

Georgia avg47%

583^rd of 1,219

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Ware County

67^th of 201Ware 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	47.5	583 of 1219	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.7	609 of 1238	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.7	714 of 1236	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.3	772 of 1223	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.6	727 of 1220	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.5	670 of 1214	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.8	658 of 1234	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.1	475 of 1209	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.7	339 of 1205	71.9%	★★★★☆
2016	68.0	346 of 1233	71.9%	★★★★☆
2015	79.2	220 of 1240	82.3%	★★★★☆
2014	83.2	114 of 1231	90.7%	★★★★★
2013	79.4	206 of 1225	83.2%	★★★★☆
2012	74.8	288 of 1201	76.0%	★★★★☆
2011	56.3	628 of 1212	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.5	712 of 1183	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.6	570 of 1133	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.6	505 of 1134	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.4	423 of 1125	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	46.2	686 of 1101	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	62.3	244 of 828	70.5%	★★★★☆
2025	55.9	317 of 892	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	473 of 879	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.6	554 of 870	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.0	556 of 876	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	52.6	496 of 1186	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.3	568 of 1224	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	680 of 1223	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	739 of 1212	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	628 of 1206	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	42.2	634 of 1183	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.4	632 of 1225	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.4	749 of 1220	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	777 of 1210	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	800 of 1209	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	16.8	517 of 565	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	258 of 487	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.4	204 of 415	50.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	464 of 700	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	434 of 769	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.6	461 of 772	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.8	489 of 775	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	459 of 779	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)71st percentile+18 vs school

Female (2026)58th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)46th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2025)8th percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics45%~ state avg

Science37%-7 vs state

5.0

2 ratings

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Center 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 Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Center Elementary School	Public	K-5	2114 Dorothy St	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2366	470	35	13.4	95.7%	109 (23.2%)	269 (57.2%)	49 (10.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.3%)	47.5	583^rd of 1219 public elementary schools	52.2%		46.7	609^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.8%	26	44.0	61.6	30.3		36.8	$14,702	$1,429	$13,274
Wacona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3101 State St	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2362	885	47	18.8	86.4%	510 (57.6%)	240 (27.1%)	78 (8.8%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (5.8%)	38.9	687^th of 1219 public elementary schools	43.6%		41.6	664^th of 1238 public elementary schools	46.4%	23	24.0	52.1	36.5		38.5	$15,307	$1,411	$13,896
Williams Heights Elementary School	Public	K-5	705 Dewey St	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2399	436	33	13.3	80.3%	139 (31.9%)	226 (51.8%)	25 (5.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.2%)	57.9	454^th of 1219 public elementary schools	62.8%		46.1	612^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.6%	158	33.4	60.5	45.6		55.9	$15,748	$1,149	$14,599
Memorial Drive Elementary School	Public	K-5	2580 Ambrose St	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2327	346	32	10.8	100.0%	166 (48.0%)	125 (36.1%)	16 (4.6%)	10 (2.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.5%)	55.8	484^th of 1219 public elementary schools	60.3%		51.6	545^th of 1238 public elementary schools	56.0%	61	43.4	46.0	49.2		49.2	$16,914	$2,249	$14,666
Midway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3244 Midway Church Rd	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 807-0084	484	35	13.9	81.0%	387 (80.0%)	9 (1.9%)	67 (13.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	89.9	128^th of 1219 public elementary schools	89.5%		90.5	127^th of 1238 public elementary schools	89.7%	1	70.4	76.2	57.4		83.6	$14,060	$1,256	$12,804
Waresboro Elementary School	Public	K-5	3379 W Church St	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2393	429	35	12.4	81.8%	242 (56.4%)	104 (24.2%)	48 (11.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.5%)	69	334^th of 1219 public elementary schools	72.6%		58.3	459^th of 1238 public elementary schools	62.9%	125	49.4	57.5	54.8		56.4	$14,764	$1,297	$13,467
Ruskin Elementary School	Public	K-5	3550 Valdosta Hwy	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2325	363	31	11.8	100.0%	157 (43.3%)	119 (32.8%)	62 (17.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.3%)	72.6	295^th of 1219 public elementary schools	75.8%		59.7	437^th of 1238 public elementary schools	64.7%	142	50.0	54.4	57.6		62.1	$17,519	$2,696	$14,823
Blackshear Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5217 Ga Highway 121	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 449-2088	820	59	13.8	100.0%	537 (65.5%)	124 (15.1%)	91 (11.1%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.3%)	71.1	311^th of 1219 public elementary schools	74.5%		73.9	284^th of 1238 public elementary schools	77.1%	27	57.8	73.0	44.7		48.5	$13,957	$1,399	$12,558
Hoboken Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	224 Church St N	Hoboken	31542	Brantley County	Brantley County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 458-2135	551	39	14.1		493 (89.5%)	8 (1.5%)	32 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	71.8	302^nd of 1219 public elementary schools	75.2%		85.5	180^th of 1238 public elementary schools	85.5%	122	71.8	42.4	49.2	74.1		$13,576	$989	$12,587
Patterson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3414 Drawdy St	Patterson	31557	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 647-5373	465	34	13.7	88.0%	371 (79.8%)	28 (6.0%)	44 (9.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	81.5	208^th of 1219 public elementary schools	82.9%		87	161^st of 1238 public elementary schools	87.0%	47	85.9	75.0	53.5		49.3	$14,367	$909	$13,458

Frequently Asked Questions about Center Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Center Elementary School?

Students at Center Elementary School are 57% African American, 23% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend Center Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 470 students attended Center Elementary School.

Is Center Elementary School a good school?

Center Elementary School ranks 583^rd of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Center Elementary School in?

Ware County

What schools do graduates of Center Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Waycross Middle School
High : Ware County High 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.