Summary:
Zip code 30534, encompassing Dawsonville, Georgia, serves approximately 5,075 students across 8 schools—5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school, and 1 alternative/junior high school—with the majority belonging to the Dawson County district and one school, Blackburn Elementary School, belonging to the Lumpkin County district.
For parents, the standout story is Dawson County Junior High, an alternative school that posts remarkable Biology End of Course results at 85.9% proficiency—nearly double the district average and 38 points above the state—though it also has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 24.3%. Blackburn Elementary School leads all elementary schools in 3rd-grade math (63.2%) and 5th-grade science (54.6%), while Dawson County High School boasts a 97.3% graduation rate and U.S. History proficiency (47.5%) well above the state average. Robinson Elementary School and Black's Mill Elementary School also perform well in early-grade math, with 4th-grade scores at or above state averages across most elementaries.
However, there are clear concerns. Kilough Elementary School shows a dramatic 5th-grade math proficiency of just 20.9%—half the state average—and has dropped from the 67th to 45th percentile in rankings. Chronic absenteeism rises sharply in secondary schools, with Dawson County Middle School at 24.2% and the high school at 20.1%, all exceeding the state average. Riverview Elementary School spends the most per student ($16,314) and has the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.6) yet shows only middling results, while Dawson County Middle School spends the least ($12,218) and performs near state averages. Overall, the area offers solid foundations with pockets of excellence, but parents should investigate the absenteeism trends and the Kilough 5th-grade math situation closely.
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