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Wacona Elementary School

Q: Is Wacona Elementary School a good school?

Wacona Elementary School ranks 664 th of 1238 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

664^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,238 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Wacona Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Waycross, Georgia, with an enrollment of 963 students. The school is part of the Ware County School District, which is ranked 89 out of 206 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wacona Elementary faces significant challenges, with lower test scores compared to both the Ware County and Georgia state averages across grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 29.9% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 30.5% in Ware County and 34.9% statewide. The school also has very high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, ranging from 86.6% to 93.7% in recent years, significantly higher than the nearby schools. Despite spending more per student ($10,223 in 2018-2019) and having a higher student-teacher ratio (19.1 in 2023-2024) compared to the nearby schools, Wacona Elementary's performance continues to lag behind.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the Ware County district generally perform better than Wacona Elementary on test scores, with higher percentages of students proficient or better in ELA, Math, and Science. However, these schools also have high free/reduced lunch rates, ranging from 80.28% to 100%. In contrast, the schools in the neighboring Pierce County district significantly outperform Wacona Elementary on test scores, with much higher percentages of students proficient or better and lower free/reduced lunch rates, ranging from 57.41% to 81.89%.

885

Students ?

18.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,307

Per pupil spending ?

86.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3101 State St
Waycross, GA 31503

(912) 287-2362

District: Ware County

Students who attend Wacona Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ware County Middle School
High:	Ware County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.6%

African American:

27.1%

Hispanic:

8.8%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Wacona Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2015 → 46th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (36% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

!Science scores 20 pts below the Georgia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg40%

Georgia avg42%

664^th of 1,238

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to bottom 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Ware County

89^th of 206Ware 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
2025	41.6	664 of 1238	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.1	504 of 1248	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	590 of 1242	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.3	556 of 1244	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.8	610 of 1214	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.4	316 of 1234	74.4%	★★★★☆
2018	64.1	386 of 1209	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.8	585 of 1205	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.9	568 of 1233	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.3	574 of 1240	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.9	442 of 1231	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.8	640 of 1225	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	70.4	380 of 1201	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.1	487 of 1212	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.9	626 of 1183	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.7	398 of 1133	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.5	423 of 1134	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	53.4	608 of 1125	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	61.7	478 of 1101	56.6%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Georgia (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics41%-4 vs state

English Language Arts34%-5 vs state

Science24%-20 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Wacona 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2025)				Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2025)				Milestones Assessment Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	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
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%)	41.6	664^th of 1238 public elementary schools	46.4%		55.1	504^th of 1248 public elementary schools	59.6%	160	29.9	42.6	29.6		27.1	65.3	28.4		23.5	$15,307	$1,411	$13,896
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%)	46.7	609^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.8%		38.7	715^th of 1248 public elementary schools	42.7%	106	26.5	46.6	43.5		32.5	49.3	33.3		39.1	$14,702	$1,429	$13,274
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%)	46.1	612^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.6%		62.9	427^th of 1248 public elementary schools	65.8%	185	33.3	34.6	39.7		41.0	28.2	45.6		44.1	$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%)	51.6	545^th of 1238 public elementary schools	56.0%		52.4	536^th of 1248 public elementary schools	57.1%	9	31.3	39.3	36.4		42.2	47.3	45.5		45.5	$16,914	$2,249	$14,666
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%)	58.3	459^th of 1238 public elementary schools	62.9%		69.3	351^st of 1248 public elementary schools	71.9%	108	35.5	34.4	33.8		52.6	62.3	43.2		51.4	$14,764	$1,297	$13,467
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%)	90.5	127^th of 1238 public elementary schools	89.7%		89.5	142^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	88.6%	15	56.7	54.1	75.0		86.7	63.9	60.3		83.8	$14,060	$1,256	$12,804
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%)	59.7	437^th of 1238 public elementary schools	64.7%		55.4	500^th of 1248 public elementary schools	59.9%	63	25.9	40.0	40.0		53.7	52.7	44.3		60.0	$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%)	73.9	284^th of 1238 public elementary schools	77.1%		70.5	340^th of 1248 public elementary schools	72.8%	56	40.0	59.0	42.3		59.2	70.5	47.2		59.3	$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%)	85.5	180^th of 1238 public elementary schools	85.5%		83.3	196^th of 1248 public elementary schools	84.3%	16	40.5	47.1	78.8	60.9	77.0	61.8	56.1	79.7	76.9	$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%)	87	161^st of 1238 public elementary schools	87.0%		93.2	95^th of 1248 public elementary schools	92.4%	66	52.1	54.4	54.8		78.9	72.1	61.6		67.1	$14,367	$909	$13,458

Frequently Asked Questions about Wacona Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Wacona Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Ware County Middle School
High : Ware County High School

What district is Wacona Elementary School in?

Ware County

What is the racial makeup of Wacona Elementary School?

Students at Wacona Elementary School are 58% White, 27% African American, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Wacona Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 885 students attended Wacona Elementary School.

Is Wacona Elementary School a good school?

Wacona Elementary School ranks 664^th of 1238 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Wacona Elementary School!

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJan 20, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 8, 2026

2017–18 through 2023–24 dropout ratesJan 7, 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.