Summary:
Zip code 31206 in Macon, Georgia is home to two public high schools—Westside High School and Southwest High School—both serving grades 9-12 within the Bibb County School District, a district ranked in the bottom 20% of Georgia districts with a 1-star rating.
For parents comparing the two schools, the most striking difference is the graduation rate versus academic performance trade-off. Southwest High School posts a standout 92.9% graduation rate—well above the district (89.0%) and state (87.2%) averages—yet its test scores are among the lowest in the state, with just 9.9% proficiency in Algebra I and 4.8% in U.S. History. Meanwhile, Westside High School graduates fewer students (84.7%) but outperforms Southwest in every subject, nearly doubling Southwest's Algebra I proficiency (18.1% vs. 9.9%) and more than doubling U.S. History proficiency (12.4% vs. 4.8%). Westside also shows a stronger improvement trajectory, gaining 8 points in Algebra I and 5.9 points in U.S. History year-over-year, while Southwest's gains were minimal or negative.
Both schools face serious challenges that parents should weigh. Chronic absenteeism is alarmingly high—47.1% at Westside and 36.7% at Southwest, compared to the 17.7% state average—and both schools have dropout rates (3.6% and 4.6%) well above the state's 2.4%. Proficiency gaps with state averages are stark: Westside's Biology proficiency (10.5%) is less than a quarter of the state's 47.2%, and Southwest's is even lower at 8.0%. Both schools rank in the bottom 10% of Georgia high schools, with Westside at the 9th percentile and Southwest at the 4th percentile. Notably, Southwest spends about $935 more per student than Westside yet achieves lower academic outcomes, raising questions about resource efficiency. For parents, Westside appears to be on an upward academic path, while Southwest excels at getting students to graduation despite significant academic hurdles.
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