Summary:
Zip code 31087, serving the Sparta, Georgia area, is home to just one elementary school—Lewis Elementary School—which serves grades PK through 5 within the Hancock County School District.
For parents considering Lewis Elementary School, the most important takeaway is that this is a small, high-poverty rural school showing genuine signs of momentum, though academic performance remains well below state averages. The school enrolls 293 students, and 95.22% qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the community. On the positive side, the school has improved its statewide ranking from the bottom 1% to the 9th percentile over two years, and it maintains a favorable 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio. Chronic absenteeism (15.7%) is actually better than both the district (19.4%) and state (17.7%) averages, suggesting students are showing up to learn. The school also spends a substantial $19,509 per student, well above typical state levels.
Academically, the standout story is a remarkable turnaround in 4th-grade math, which jumped from 6.7% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 41.7% in 2025-2026—a 35-point gain that is nearly four times higher than the 3rd-grade (5.8%) and 5th-grade (11.1%) math scores. This disparity suggests something specific is working in 4th-grade math instruction that could serve as a model for other grades. Elsewhere, 5th-grade math (11.1%) and science (13.3%) both more than doubled year-over-year, though they still trail state averages by roughly 30 points. English Language Arts scores for 2025-2026 have not yet been released; the most recent data from 2024-2025 showed proficiency rates between 5.4% and 13.9%, far below state levels. While absolute scores remain low, the upward trajectory across multiple subjects and grades indicates the school is building a foundation for improvement, even if that progress is not yet consistent across all grade levels.
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