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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.

Varnell Elementary School

Q: Is Varnell Elementary School a good school?

Varnell Elementary School ranks 428 th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

428^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,222 Georgia Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of Georgia elementary schools

Summary

Varnell Elementary School in Dalton, GA, serves approximately 350 students in grades K-5 within the Whitfield County school district, and it has recently climbed to a 3-star rating, ranking 427th out of 1,219 Georgia elementary schools—a jump of 160 spots from the previous year.

Varnell's standout strength is mathematics in the early grades. In the most recent testing year, 58.7% of 3rd graders and 59.7% of 4th graders scored proficient or above in math, both well above the district and state averages. This pattern has held steady for several years, showing a genuine instructional strength. The school also excels with its Hispanic student population, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 78th percentile statewide for this group—a remarkable achievement. Additionally, chronic absenteeism has dropped to just 11.0%, far better than the state average of 17.7% and better than most nearby schools like Pleasant Grove Elementary (9.4%) and New Hope Elementary (7.6%). This improvement is especially notable given that nearly all students (99.1%) now qualify for free or reduced lunch, a significant demographic shift in just two years.

The clearest area for growth is 5th grade science, where only 34% of students scored proficient—matching the district but falling 10 points below the state average. Math also shows a drop-off in 5th grade (45.3% proficient) compared to the strong 3rd and 4th grade results, suggesting a transition challenge into upper elementary. Compared to nearby schools, Varnell sits in the middle tier—Tunnel Hill Elementary and Cohutta Elementary rank slightly higher, while Beaverdale Elementary ranks lower. However, Varnell's year-over-year improvement is among the most positive in the area, and its spending per student ($14,237) is more efficient than several higher-spending peers. With strong early-grade math, excellent support for Hispanic learners, and improving attendance, Varnell is a school on an upward trajectory.

350

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,237

Per pupil spending ?

99.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4421 Highway 2
Dalton, GA 30721

(706) 694-3471

District: Whitfield County

Students who attend Varnell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	North Whitfield Middle School
High:	Coahulla Creek High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.4%

Hispanic:

32.6%

African American:

2.9%

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Compare Varnell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 55th percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Georgia median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Science scores 10 pts below the Georgia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg42%

Georgia avg47%

428^th of 1,222

Georgia public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Whitfield County

96^th of 202Whitfield 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	60.5	428 of 1222	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	587 of 1238	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	555 of 1236	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	511 of 1223	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	539 of 1220	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.8	502 of 1214	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.6	299 of 1234	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	49.4	566 of 1209	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.6	501 of 1205	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.5	559 of 1233	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.4	525 of 1240	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.1	482 of 1231	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.7	380 of 1225	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.4	457 of 1201	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.3	630 of 1212	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	59.9	538 of 1183	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.5	514 of 1133	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.1	498 of 1134	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.1	389 of 1125	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	46.5	679 of 1101	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	392 of 1189	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.4	586 of 1224	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.0	437 of 1223	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	479 of 1212	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	501 of 1206	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	67.7	112 of 504	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	40.0	347 of 583	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.3	327 of 565	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.4	212 of 535	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.4	286 of 516	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	484 of 1186	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.5	565 of 1225	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.6	637 of 1220	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.2	544 of 1210	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	579 of 1209	52.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	502 of 703	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.2	501 of 769	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.6	491 of 772	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.4	553 of 775	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.1	527 of 779	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile~ school

Male (2026)59th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)29th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics55%+7 vs state

Science34%-10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Thursday, May 21, 2015

Great leadership. Well qualified teachers who work toward bringing out the best in their students in every area. The atmosphere is always inviting and the school feels homey and safe. Close Quote

Schools Near Varnell 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
Varnell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4421 Highway 2	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 694-3471	350	26	13.2	99.1%	208 (59.4%)	10 (2.9%)	114 (32.6%)	8 (2.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	60.5	428^th of 1222 public elementary schools	65.0%		48.5	587^th of 1238 public elementary schools	52.6%	159	58.7	59.7	45.3	34.0	$14,237	$724	$13,513
New Hope Elementary School	Public	K-5	1175 New Hope Rd NW	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 673-3180	511	37	13.8	90.4%	285 (55.8%)	18 (3.5%)	174 (34.1%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.1%)	67.3	354^th of 1222 public elementary schools	71.0%		54.3	509^th of 1238 public elementary schools	58.9%	155	45.7	52.5	56.2	58.0	$13,992	$698	$13,293
Cohutta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	254 Wolfe St	Cohutta	30710	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 694-8812	287	23	12.5	88.9%	223 (77.7%)	3 (1.0%)	45 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.2%)	61.9	412^th of 1222 public elementary schools	66.3%		75.2	273^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	77.9%	139	65.9	58.5	41.7	39.6	$16,267	$747	$15,520
Beaverdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9196 Highway 2	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 275-4414	488	42	11.7	100.0%	353 (72.3%)	7 (1.4%)	102 (20.9%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.1%)	49.7	547^th of 1222 public elementary schools	55.2%		47	608^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.9%	61	57.5	39.3	50.7	27.9	$16,773	$1,046	$15,727
Pleasant Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2725 Cleveland Hwy	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 259-3920	451	36	12.3	100.0%	146 (32.4%)	14 (3.1%)	276 (61.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.9%)	65.2	380^th of 1222 public elementary schools	68.9%		67.2	362^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	70.8%	18	63.0	45.5	65.1	43.7	$14,247	$839	$13,409
Dawnville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1380 Dawnville Rd NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 259-3914	413	36	11.5	100.0%	150 (36.3%)	18 (4.4%)	222 (53.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	14.8	1084^th of 1222 public elementary schools	11.3%		20.3	992^nd of 1238 public elementary schools	19.9%	92	25.9	25.1	22.6	21.1	$14,873	$585	$14,288
Tunnel Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	203 E School St	Tunnel Hill	30755	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 673-4550	297	22	13.6	82.2%	222 (74.7%)	9 (3.0%)	60 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	65.5	375^th of 1222 public elementary schools	69.3%		73.9	283^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	77.1%	92	58.7	53.0	64.4	36.4	$14,915	$509	$14,406
Park Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Hale Bowen Dr	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 428-7700	604	52	11.5	78.8%	44 (7.3%)	19 (3.1%)	523 (86.6%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	47.4	587^th of 1222 public elementary schools	52.0%		41.7	663^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	46.4%	76	30.9	49.3	51.1	41.6	$16,988	$990	$15,997
Tiger Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	134 Rhea McClanahan Dr	Tunnel Hill	30755	Whitfield County	Catoosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 935-9890	400	33	12.2	92.8%	336 (84.0%)	9 (2.3%)	35 (8.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.8%)	36.4	728^th of 1222 public elementary schools	40.4%		57.7	470^th of 1238 public elementary schools	62.0%	258	33.3	51.6	31.4	32.9	$15,855	$672	$15,182
Westwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	708 Trammell St	Dalton	30720	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 278-2809	605	47	12.8	66.1%	210 (34.7%)	49 (8.1%)	306 (50.6%)	18 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	18 (3.0%)	54	512^th of 1222 public elementary schools	58.1%		71	319^th of 1238 public elementary schools	74.2%	193	53.1	50.0	42.7	39.0	$15,416	$575	$14,841

Frequently Asked Questions about Varnell Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Varnell Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : North Whitfield Middle School
High : Coahulla Creek High School

What district is Varnell Elementary School in?

Whitfield County

What is the racial makeup of Varnell Elementary School?

Students at Varnell Elementary School are 59% White, 33% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

Is Varnell Elementary School a good school?

Varnell Elementary School ranks 428^th of 1222 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Varnell Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 350 students attended Varnell Elementary School.

Rate Varnell 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.