Summary:
Schools in zip code 30281 (Stockbridge, Georgia) serve approximately 17 schools across elementary, middle, and high school levels, spanning the Henry County and Rockdale County districts plus one state specialty school, in an area where most schools have high rates of economic disadvantage.
For parents comparing schools, Austin Road Elementary School stands out as the top-ranked school in the area, jumping from the 32nd to 47th percentile in one year and posting the highest 5th-grade science proficiency (53.5%) in the zip code. Woodland High School is the stronger of the two high schools, with an 88.5% graduation rate and a 2.0% dropout rate, both better than Stockbridge High School, which struggles with a 38.6% chronic absenteeism rate—more than double the state average. Among middle schools, General Ray Davis Middle School leads with a 41st percentile rank, though it has declined from the 64th percentile two years ago. Stockbridge Middle School is the most concerning, ranking in the 10th percentile with a 23.9% chronic absenteeism rate.
A key insight for families is that middle school Algebra I scores are misleadingly high—Austin Road Middle School shows 97.2% proficiency, but this reflects only advanced students taking the course; grade-level math proficiency at these schools is 10-20 points below state averages. Chronic absenteeism appears to be the defining challenge across the area, ranging from 9.4% at Woodland Middle School to 38.6% at Stockbridge High, with lower-absenteeism schools generally showing better trends. Per-student spending varies widely from $12,943 to $19,788, but higher spending does not guarantee better results—Smith-Barnes Elementary School spends the most yet ranks in the 26th percentile. Excelsior Village Academies, a small K-8 specialty school with just 90 students, shows 0% science proficiency and warrants a closer look if considering it.
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