Summary:
ZIP code 30132 in Dallas, Georgia, is served by seven elementary schools within the Paulding County School District, educating roughly 6,290 students from Pre-K through 5th grade. Burnt Hickory Elementary School is the clear academic leader, ranking in the top 15% of Georgia elementary schools with a 4-star rating. Its math proficiency averages 67.3%—nearly 20 points above the district average—and it also posts the strongest science scores (57.1% proficient). Floyd L. Shelton Elementary School at Crossroad and Roland W. Russom Elementary also perform well above district norms, with math proficiency around 61% and low chronic absenteeism rates below 11.4%. At the other end, Dallas Elementary School ranks lowest (29th percentile, 1 star), with math proficiency near 34% and a 21.9% chronic absenteeism rate—the highest in the group.
Socioeconomic factors and attendance patterns are the strongest differentiators among these schools. The top three performers all have free/reduced lunch populations below 35%, while the bottom three exceed 58%. WC Abney Elementary sits in the middle, with math scores near district averages and a free/reduced lunch rate of 48.7%, making it a useful benchmark. Notably, per-student spending does not predict success: Lillian C. Poole Elementary School spends the most ($17,386 per student) yet ranks 749th, while Floyd L. Shelton spends the least ($12,573) and ranks 293rd. Similarly, smaller class sizes do not guarantee better outcomes—Lillian C. Poole and Dallas have the lowest student-teacher ratios but the weakest academic results.
There are encouraging signs of improvement. Northside Elementary School has climbed 149 positions in state rankings over two years, with 5th grade math jumping from 38% to 51.4% proficiency. However, grade-level patterns vary: Lillian C. Poole shows a dramatic 33.5-point drop in math proficiency between 3rd and 5th grade, while Floyd L. Shelton shows a more moderate decline. For parents, Burnt Hickory and Floyd L. Shelton offer the strongest overall academics, while Northside demonstrates that targeted interventions can drive meaningful progress even in schools facing higher poverty levels.
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