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Memorial Drive Elementary School

Q: Is Memorial Drive Elementary School a good school?

Memorial Drive Elementary School ranks 484 th of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

484^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,219 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Memorial Drive Elementary School in Waycross, GA, serves approximately 346 students in grades K-5 as part of the Ware County school district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school is a remarkable turnaround story. Over the past four years, Memorial Drive has climbed from the 33rd percentile statewide to the 60th percentile—a 27-point jump that represents one of the strongest improvement trends among nearby elementary schools. The school has maintained a 3-star rating for most of the past decade, and its progress is especially notable given the high-poverty student population. Mathematics is a clear strength: in the most recent testing year, 5th graders posted a 49.2% proficiency rate, beating both the district (44.5%) and state (44.1%) averages. Science scores have also surged, going from below state average in 2023-2024 to 5 points above it in 2025-2026. The school's improvement has been equitable across student groups, with both male and female students ranking at the 60th percentile statewide.

Compared to other Ware County schools, Memorial Drive sits in the middle of the pack—Ruskin Elementary (76th percentile) and Waresboro Elementary (73rd percentile) rank higher, while Center Elementary (52nd) and Wacona Elementary (44th) rank lower. However, Memorial Drive's improvement trajectory is the strongest of any elementary school in the district. The school also maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.8:1—better than most nearby schools—and spends $16,914 per student, reflecting a significant investment in resources. One area to watch is chronic absenteeism, which rose to 20.3% in 2025-2026 after a strong 14.4% the prior year. If the school can address attendance while continuing its academic momentum, it is well-positioned to reach even higher rankings in the years ahead.

346

Students ?

10.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,914

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2580 Ambrose St
Waycross, GA 31503

(912) 287-2327

District: Ware County

Students who attend Memorial Drive Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Waycross Middle School
High:	Ware County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.0%

African American:

36.1%

Two or more races:

7.5%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Memorial Drive Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

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.

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 47th percentile in 2016 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Georgia median (60th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg47%

Georgia avg47%

484^th of 1,219

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to top 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^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	55.8	484 of 1219	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	545 of 1238	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.4	536 of 1236	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.8	594 of 1223	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	30.7	824 of 1220	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.8	561 of 1214	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.3	551 of 1234	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.2	600 of 1209	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.0	554 of 1205	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	44.3	650 of 1233	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	59.4	442 of 1240	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	75.5	287 of 1231	76.7%	★★★★☆
2013	68.6	417 of 1225	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.2	341 of 1201	71.6%	★★★★☆
2011	76.2	277 of 1212	77.1%	★★★★☆
2010	73.2	306 of 1183	74.1%	★★★★☆
2009	74.5	256 of 1133	77.4%	★★★★☆
2008	67.1	384 of 1134	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	75.6	246 of 1125	78.1%	★★★★☆
2006	78.5	188 of 1101	82.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	51.6	342 of 828	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.0	506 of 892	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.3	391 of 879	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.5	461 of 870	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.7	628 of 876	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	476 of 1186	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.3	580 of 1224	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	542 of 1223	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.8	767 of 1212	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.4	884 of 1206	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	56.7	475 of 1183	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.0	498 of 1225	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	522 of 1220	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	482 of 1210	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.9	745 of 1209	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	49.5	350 of 700	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.1	430 of 769	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	507 of 772	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	529 of 775	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.9	672 of 779	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)60th percentile~ school

Male (2026)60th percentile~ school

African American (2026)59th percentile~ school

White (2026)50th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Science49%+5 vs state

Mathematics46%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Memorial Drive 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	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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 Memorial Drive Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Memorial Drive Elementary School?

Students at Memorial Drive Elementary School are 48% White, 36% African American, 8% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

Is Memorial Drive Elementary School a good school?

Memorial Drive Elementary School ranks 484^th of 1219 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Memorial Drive Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 346 students attended Memorial Drive Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Memorial Drive Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Memorial Drive Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Waycross Middle School
High : Ware County High School

What district is Memorial Drive Elementary School in?

Ware County

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresNewAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)NewAug 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.