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New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Georgia rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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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.

Waresboro Elementary School

Q: Is Waresboro Elementary School a good school?

Waresboro Elementary School ranks 334 th of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

334^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,219 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Waresboro Elementary School in Waycross, GA, serves 429 students in grades K-5 and has earned a 4-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year, ranking in the 73rd percentile statewide—a remarkable climb from just 2 stars a few years ago.

This school stands out for its strong performance in math and science, consistently beating both the Ware County district and state averages. For example, 5th-grade math proficiency hit 54.8% (compared to 44.1% statewide) and 5th-grade science reached 56.4% (versus 44.2% statewide). Within the district, Waresboro outranks most of its peers, including Memorial Drive Elementary School, Williams Heights Elementary School, Center Elementary School, and Wacona Elementary School. Only Ruskin Elementary School ranks higher, but Waresboro achieves this with lower per-student spending ($14,764 vs. Ruskin's $17,519), suggesting efficient use of resources. The school also serves a high-need population—81.82% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—yet still outperforms state averages in core STEM subjects. A favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.4:1 supports this success.

One notable challenge is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 23.2%—higher than the district (19.5%) and state (17.7%) averages. This is a paradox: students who attend regularly receive highly effective instruction, but attendance remains an area for improvement. While English Language Arts scores have been more variable in recent years, the school's overall trajectory is clearly upward, and its ability to achieve strong results despite socioeconomic barriers makes it a standout choice for families in the Waycross area.

429

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,764

Per pupil spending ?

81.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3379 W Church St
Waycross, GA 31503

(912) 287-2393

District: Ware County

Students who attend Waresboro Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.4%

African American:

24.2%

Hispanic:

11.2%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Waresboro Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2016 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Georgia average (54% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Georgia median (73rd percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg47%

Georgia avg47%

334^th of 1,219

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▲ up 28 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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	69.0	334 of 1219	72.6%	★★★★☆
2025	58.3	459 of 1238	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.3	351 of 1236	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	52.5	525 of 1223	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.7	628 of 1220	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.0	478 of 1214	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.0	522 of 1234	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.1	474 of 1209	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.8	485 of 1205	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	42.5	681 of 1233	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	53.4	540 of 1240	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	81.7	150 of 1231	87.8%	★★★★☆
2013	71.1	374 of 1225	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.9	369 of 1201	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.7	607 of 1212	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	58.4	557 of 1183	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	48.7	656 of 1133	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.4	832 of 1134	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	41.1	756 of 1125	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	34.7	814 of 1101	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	43.1	459 of 892	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.6	237 of 879	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	28.9	632 of 870	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	867 of 876	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	275 of 1186	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	64.9	376 of 1224	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.5	302 of 1223	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	53.3	518 of 1212	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	610 of 1206	49.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	384 of 1183	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	540 of 1225	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.6	386 of 1220	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.0	535 of 1210	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	644 of 1209	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	61.1	157 of 565	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	88 of 487	81.9%	★★★★☆
2023	61.7	116 of 455	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	53.0	149 of 415	64.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	292 of 700	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.4	416 of 769	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.0	282 of 772	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.7	400 of 775	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.6	553 of 779	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)77th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)72nd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)58th percentile-14 vs school

African American (2025)49th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Science56%+12 vs state

Mathematics54%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Waresboro 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Bacon County Elementary School	Public	3-5	523 E 16th St	Alma	31510	Bacon County	Bacon County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 632-4133	448	39	11.5	100.0%	256 (57.1%)	115 (25.7%)	64 (14.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	69.2	332^nd of 1219 public elementary schools	72.8%		67.3	360^th of 1238 public elementary schools	70.9%	28	54.8	60.4	48.2	52.6	$14,119	$1,197	$12,922

Frequently Asked Questions about Waresboro Elementary School

What district is Waresboro Elementary School in?

Ware County

What is the racial makeup of Waresboro Elementary School?

Students at Waresboro Elementary School are 56% White, 24% African American, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Waresboro Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 429 students attended Waresboro Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Waresboro Elementary School attend?

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

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

Is Waresboro Elementary School a good school?

Waresboro Elementary School ranks 334^th of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Waresboro Elementary School!

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Schools in Waycross, GA

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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.