Summary:
Zip code 30286, encompassing Thomaston, Georgia, is served by a single high school, Upson-Lee High School, which educates students in grades 9 through 12 as part of the Thomaston-Upson County district.
For parents, the most encouraging news is that Upson-Lee High School is on a clear upward trajectory. The school’s state ranking jumped dramatically from 342nd (24th percentile) in 2024-2025 to 255th (44th percentile) in 2025-2026, recovering strongly from a dip the previous year. This improvement is backed by significant academic gains: proficiency in Algebra I rose from 22.9% to 34.3%, and Biology proficiency soared from 27.7% to 44.0%, now nearly matching the state average. The school also excels at keeping students on track, boasting a 92.5% graduation rate that outpaces the state’s 87.2%, and a dropout rate of just 1.8% compared to the state’s 2.4%. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.6:1 and per-student spending of $13,256, the school appears well-resourced to support its students.
However, challenges remain. Despite the gains, proficiency rates in all subjects still trail state averages, with the largest gaps in US History (25.4% vs. 38.5%) and Algebra I (34.3% vs. 48.1%). A more pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 26.5%—well above the district’s 19.3% and the state’s 17.7%. This suggests that while students who attend regularly are succeeding, a substantial portion of the student body is missing significant school time, which could be limiting even greater academic progress. Overall, Upson-Lee High School shows strong signs of improvement and excels in student retention, but addressing attendance will be key to closing the remaining achievement gaps and building on its recent successes.
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