Summary:
Zip code 31092, serving the Vienna, Georgia area, is home to just one high school, Dooly County High School, which enrolls 329 students in grades 9 through 12.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is a clear paradox: the school spends a substantial $19,584 per student and maintains a favorable 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio, yet academic proficiency rates lag far behind state averages. In the most recent testing year, only 15.5% of students were proficient in Algebra I and 18.3% in Biology, compared to state averages near 48%. U.S. History proficiency was 0%, a striking figure that warrants investigation. The school also faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism, as 33.5% of students are chronically absent—nearly double the state rate of 17.7%. This high-poverty school (82.37% free/reduced lunch eligibility) has ranked in the bottom 6-8% of Georgia high schools for three consecutive years, indicating systemic challenges rather than temporary setbacks.
Despite these academic struggles, there are positive signs. The graduation rate of 91.3% actually exceeds both the district (88.2%) and state (87.2%) averages, suggesting effective credit recovery or flexible pathways. Year-over-year improvements are also emerging: Biology proficiency jumped from 10.4% to 18.3%, and Algebra I improved from 13.8% to 15.5%. The school is part of the Dooly County district, which ranks in the 5th percentile statewide. While the high spending without corresponding outcomes raises questions about resource utilization, the combination of a strong graduation rate, improving test scores in some subjects, and small class sizes provides a foundation for potential growth—if the school can successfully address its chronic absenteeism problem.
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