Summary:
Zip code 31047 (Kathleen, Georgia) is home to one elementary school, Matthew Arthur Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 5 within the Houston County School District.
Matthew Arthur Elementary School is a consistently high-performing school, ranking in the top 10% of all Georgia elementary schools for three consecutive years. In the most recent 2025–2026 ranking, it placed 126th out of 1,219 schools statewide, earning a 4-star rating. The school significantly outperforms both district and state averages in every subject tested. In 2025–2026, math proficiency ranged from 62.7% in 3rd grade to 74.4% in 4th grade, compared to state averages of 48.3% and 50.1%, respectively. Fifth-grade science proficiency was a standout at 76.2%, a 32-point advantage over the state average. The most recent English Language Arts (ELA) data from 2024–2025 shows equally strong results, with 4th-grade proficiency at 76.6% and 5th-grade at 79.3%, both far exceeding state averages. The school also maintains an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 7.2%, less than half the district rate of 15.6% and the state rate of 17.7%.
With 36.4% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school serves a moderate-poverty population yet achieves remarkable academic outcomes. Per-student spending is $14,997 with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.2:1. The school's slight ranking dip from 94th percentile in 2023–2024 to 90th in 2025–2026 coincides with the pending release of ELA scores, which are not included in the current data. Given the school's historically strong ELA performance, this decline is likely a data artifact rather than a true drop in achievement. Overall, Matthew Arthur Elementary School stands out as an elite institution in central Georgia, combining top-tier academics, strong attendance, and efficient resource use to deliver exceptional results for its students.
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