Summary:
Zip code 30121 in Cartersville, Georgia, is served by two public elementary schools—Cloverleaf Elementary and Clear Creek Elementary School—both part of the Bartow County district, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 64th percentile statewide.
These two schools are remarkably similar in size (646 and 614 students, respectively), resources (both have 13:1 student-teacher ratios and per-student spending around $16,600-$16,800), and economic demographics (roughly 64-69% free/reduced lunch). Yet their academic profiles differ sharply. Cloverleaf excels in upper grades—its 5th-grade math proficiency hit 60.6% in 2024-2025, and its 5th-grade ELA reached 51.1%, outpacing both district and state averages. However, Cloverleaf’s overall state ranking dropped from the 65th to 47th percentile in 2025-2026, likely dragged down by weak 3rd-grade scores (41% math) and a 27.2% science proficiency rate. Clear Creek, by contrast, has remained stable (51st percentile) and shows a standout strength in 5th-grade math, posting 53.6% proficiency in 2025-2026—well above the district’s 46.9% and state’s 44.1%. Clear Creek also has slightly lower economic need (64.33% vs. 69.04% free/reduced lunch) but higher chronic absenteeism (15.5% vs. 12.9%).
The most pressing shared challenge is science: both schools fall 11-17 points below the state average in 5th-grade science. Early-grade performance is also a concern, with both schools trailing district and state averages in 3rd-grade math by 7-9 points. On the positive side, Cloverleaf shows a strong literacy trajectory—3rd-grade ELA at 25.3% climbs to 51.1% by 5th grade—while Clear Creek’s 5th-grade math consistency (52.9% and 53.6% over two years) suggests a replicable model. With nearly identical resources, these performance differences highlight distinct instructional strengths worth investigating. The December ELA release will provide a fuller picture of current-year achievement.
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