Summary:
Zip code 30223 in Griffin, GA, is served by 10 schools within the Griffin-Spalding County district, including seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and one alternative high school, all of which predominantly serve low-income families.
For families seeking the strongest elementary option, Jackson Road Elementary School is the clear standout. It is the only school in the zip code to earn a 3-star rating, with 4th grade math proficiency at 54%—above the state average—and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (16.6%) among its peers. Orrs Elementary School also shows promise, having made the largest ranking jump in the area and posting 5th grade science scores near the state average. In contrast, Moore Elementary School and Atkinson Elementary School trail significantly, with math proficiency in the mid-teens to low-20s. At the middle school level, Cowan Road Middle School outperforms Kennedy Road Middle School in both 8th grade math (22.9% vs. 13.1%) and Algebra I End of Course exams (52.2% vs. 32.1%), with Cowan Road actually exceeding the state average in Algebra I. AZ Kelsey Academy, the alternative high school, maintains a strong 91.7% graduation rate despite its small size and high per-student spending.
The most pressing challenges across the zip code are chronic absenteeism—with middle schools exceeding 31%—and a sharp academic decline between elementary and middle school. Science proficiency is particularly weak, especially in 8th grade where rates hover near 4-6% versus the state's 29.7%. However, the success of Jackson Road and the rapid improvement at Orrs demonstrate that high-poverty schools can achieve meaningful gains, making school-level choices matter greatly for families in this area.
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