Summary:
Zip code 31079, serving the Rochelle, Georgia area, is home to three public schools within the Wilcox County School District, which together serve approximately 1,126 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on a centralized campus. The standout performer is Wilcox County Middle School, which earned a 4-star rating and surged from the 62nd to the 83rd percentile statewide in just two years. Its 8th grade math proficiency of 72.5% far exceeds the state average of 46.3%, and it beats state averages in every subject tested, including science and social studies. In contrast, Wilcox County Elementary School has seen declining rankings and scores below state averages in most subjects, while Wilcox County High School posts an exceptional 98.7% graduation rate despite test scores that trail state norms.
Across the district, a clear pattern emerges: students perform below state averages in elementary school, surge above them in middle school, then fall back below in high school. The middle school's success is particularly notable given that nearly 89% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, suggesting targeted interventions are working. However, chronic absenteeism rises sharply with grade level—from 19.8% at the elementary school to 34.9% at the middle school and a concerning 48.6% at the high school, nearly triple the state rate. This absenteeism likely contributes to the high school's lower End of Course scores, including just 31.8% proficiency in Algebra I and 21.1% in U.S. History.
Year-over-year data shows dramatic swings, including a 23.7-point surge in 8th grade math and a 16.2-point drop in 4th grade math, indicating significant cohort or instructional changes. The elementary school, with the highest poverty rate at 95.61%, receives less funding per student ($14,548) than the middle school ($15,122), raising questions about resource allocation. Despite these challenges, the district's high graduation rate demonstrates strong student persistence, even as the high school's ranking has steadily declined from 148th to 276th statewide over three years.
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