Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 30824

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

At a glance

Schools

287

Students

Top rankedNorris Elementary School972^nd of 1,222 Georgia elementary schools

See the top-ranked Georgia schools →

Summary:

Zip code 30824 in Thomson, Georgia is served by three elementary schools within the McDuffie County school district, together educating roughly 1,045 students in grades PK through 5. These schools—Maxwell Elementary School (grades PK-1), Thomson Elementary School (grades 2-3), and Norris Elementary School (grades 4-5)—form a unique feeder pattern where every student changes schools twice during their elementary years. All three schools report 100% free/reduced lunch eligibility, indicating universal economic disadvantage, yet they outperform their district in chronic absenteeism, with rates between 14.0% and 17.8% compared to the district's 24.7%.

The most striking finding is the performance gap between grade levels. Thomson Elementary School's 3rd graders achieved 40.5% proficiency in English Language Arts—actually exceeding the state average of 34.9%—and 38.6% in math. However, by the time students reach Norris Elementary School in grades 4-5, proficiency drops dramatically, with 5th grade math falling to just 24.3% in 2024-2025 and 24.8% in 2025-2026. The math gap versus the state widens from 5.7 points in 3rd grade to 22.5 points in 4th grade by 2025-2026. Norris Elementary School's state ranking has also declined steadily from the 36th percentile (2023-2024) to the 20th percentile (2025-2026).

Despite these challenges, there are bright spots. Maxwell Elementary School historically ranked in the 72nd percentile (2005-2006), and Thomson Elementary School reached the 53rd percentile in 2015-2016, demonstrating capacity for improvement. Thomson Elementary School also has the highest per-student spending ($16,189) and lowest student-teacher ratio (12.8:1) among the three schools. Science performance at Norris Elementary School (30.7% proficient) is a relative strength compared to its math scores, though still below state averages. The district overall ranks 149th out of 201 Georgia districts, and the grade-banded structure may contribute to transition-related learning disruptions between schools.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Norris Elementary School	Public	4-5	1861 Harrison Rd SE	Thomson	30824	McDuffie County	McDuffie County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 986-4600	287	22	13.0	100.0%	53 (18.5%)	207 (72.1%)	7 (2.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.3%)	21	972^nd of 1222 public elementary schools	20.5%		29	853^rd of 1238 public elementary schools	31.1%	119		27.6	24.8	30.7	$16,150	$1,541	$14,608
Maxwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	2001 Thomson East Bypass	Thomson	30824	McDuffie County	McDuffie County	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(706) 986-4800	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	31.3

Cities Near Zip Code 30824

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Thomson	0.77 mi	4	305^th
Dearing	7.2 mi	1	260^th
Harlem	10.44 mi	3	123^rd
Warrenton	11.07 mi	3	345^th
Appling	13.2 mi	1	4^th

See the top GA Georgia cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.