Summary:
Zip code 30808 is home to one elementary school, Dearing Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 5 and enrolls 414 students in the Dearing, GA area. This is a high-poverty school, with nearly 80% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet it benefits from a favorable 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $14,940, indicating strong resource allocation.
Dearing Elementary has historically been a solid performer, ranking in the 59th percentile (3 stars) for both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. However, the most recent 2025-2026 data shows a significant drop to the 36th percentile (2 stars). This decline appears driven largely by a sharp 17.8-percentage-point drop in 4th-grade math proficiency, falling from 47.0% to 29.2%. Fifth-grade math also declined by 7.5 points to 44.1%, while 3rd-grade math improved by 5.6 points to 36.6%. Despite these recent struggles, the school still outperforms its McDuffie County district in every subject, including a 13.1-point advantage in 5th-grade math and a 1.0-point edge in 5th-grade science. The school also trails state averages in most areas, though it tied the state in 5th-grade math and previously exceeded state ELA averages, with 5th-grade ELA at 56.3% proficiency versus the state's 43.0% in 2024-2025.
Chronic absenteeism stands at 18.0%, which is notably below the district's 24.7% but slightly above the state's 17.7%—a positive sign given the school's high poverty rate. The most pressing concern is the 4th-grade math cohort, and watching how these students perform in 5th grade next year will be critical to determining if this is a temporary setback or a longer-term trend. Overall, Dearing Elementary remains a stronger school within a district ranked in the bottom quarter of Georgia, but it faces clear challenges in closing the gap with state averages.
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