Schools in Zip Code 30450

Zip code 30450, serving the Portal community in Bulloch County, Georgia, is home to two schools—Portal Elementary School (PK-5) and Portal Middle/High School (6-12)—which together educate roughly 945 students in a predominantly low-income area where free/reduced lunch rates range from 84% to 94%.

Portal Elementary School is the clear standout, having climbed from the 65th to the 78th percentile in statewide rankings over the past two years and earning a 4-star rating. Its 5th grade math proficiency (63.5%) and science proficiency (61.6%) both exceed state averages by nearly 20 percentage points, an impressive feat given that 94% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Portal Middle/High School has also made significant strides, jumping from the 36th to the 60th percentile and from 2 to 3 stars. The secondary school now exceeds state averages in Algebra I (55.3% proficient), Biology (50.6%), and 7th grade math (50.7%), and its 91.4% graduation rate tops both the Bulloch County district (88.5%) and the state (87.2%).

Both schools share a notable weakness in social studies—8th grade social studies proficiency sits at just 22.9% versus the 40.2% state average, and U.S. History is similarly low at 22.2%—suggesting a district-wide instructional gap in that subject. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern at the secondary level, where 24.7% of students are chronically absent, well above the state's 17.7%. However, the elementary school's 18.5% rate is closer to the state average. Despite these challenges, both schools spend about $16,100-$16,300 per student and maintain favorable student-teacher ratios (14.6:1 and 13.7:1). Year-over-year test scores show some volatility, likely due to small class sizes, but the overall trajectory for both schools is positive, with strong STEM performance and efficient resource use driving meaningful progress in a high-poverty community.