Summary:
Zip code 30296 in Riverdale, Georgia, is home to two elementary schools—Lake Ridge Elementary School and Oliver Elementary School—both serving Pre-K through 5th grade within the Clayton County School District.
Oliver Elementary is the clear standout in this area. It ranks in the 32nd percentile statewide with a 2-star rating, while Lake Ridge sits in the bottom 10% with a 0-star rating. Oliver outperforms Lake Ridge in every subject and grade level. For example, in 4th grade math, 46.1% of Oliver students are proficient compared to 30.4% at Lake Ridge, and in 5th grade science, Oliver’s 27.7% proficiency rate more than doubles Lake Ridge’s 12.8%. Oliver has also maintained a consistent 2-star rating for three straight years, while Lake Ridge’s ranking has dropped from the 28th percentile to the 10th percentile over the same period. Both schools serve 100% economically disadvantaged populations with nearly identical per-student spending (around $17,000–$17,700), making Oliver’s stronger results particularly notable.
There are some encouraging signs at Lake Ridge. Its 3rd grade math proficiency jumped from 15.4% to 27.5% in one year—a 12.1-point gain—though it still trails the district average. However, Lake Ridge faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism at 23.9%, well above the state average of 17.7% and Oliver’s 17.1%. Oliver, by contrast, is improving across the board, with 5th grade math and science each rising by roughly 5–6 points year over year. For parents, Oliver Elementary clearly offers the stronger academic environment, while Lake Ridge shows pockets of progress but struggles with attendance and overall achievement gaps that widen by 5th grade.
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