Summary:
Zip code 31036, serving the Hawkinsville area in Pulaski County, Georgia, is home to three public schools under the Pulaski County district: Pulaski County Elementary School (PK-5), Pulaski County Middle School (6-8), and Hawkinsville High School (9-12), all serving a high-poverty population where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Among the three schools, Pulaski County Elementary School stands out as the most stable performer, maintaining 2-star ratings for three consecutive years and ranking in the 35th-47th percentile statewide. In contrast, Hawkinsville High School has experienced a dramatic decline, falling from the 49th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 13th percentile (1 star) in 2025-2026. Pulaski County Middle School sits in between, dropping from 2 stars to 1 star over the same period. Academic proficiency across all schools trails state averages significantly—elementary math proficiency ranges from 34.6-40.2% versus the state's 44-50%, middle school math falls to 20.5-27.1% versus 40-46%, and high school Algebra I proficiency is just 22.6% versus the state's 48.1%.
Chronic absenteeism is a critical concern, with rates of 21.6% at the elementary, 28.4% at the middle, and 32.0% at the high school—all well above the state average of 17.7%. Despite these challenges, there are bright spots: the high school's graduation rate of 91.3% exceeds the state's 87.2%, and 7th grade English Language Arts proficiency reached 43.0% in 2024-2025, outperforming the state. Year-over-year declines are widespread, though 8th grade social studies nearly doubled from 14.0% to 27.7%. With per-student spending between $12,386 and $13,578 and student-teacher ratios of 13.8-15.3, the district invests reasonably, yet outcomes suggest poverty and absenteeism—not resource scarcity—are the primary drivers of performance gaps.
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