Summary:
Zip code 31401 in Savannah, Georgia, is home to four elementary schools within the Savannah-Chatham County district, serving grades PK-8 and offering a dramatic range of academic outcomes that makes this area a unique educational microcosm.
For parents, the standout choice is Savannah Classical Academy Charter School, which ranks in the 88th percentile statewide (4 stars) and posts remarkable results despite 93% of its students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Its 5th-grade science proficiency (94.1%) is more than double the state average, and its 8th-grade math proficiency (83.8%) nearly doubles the state rate. Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts is a solid alternative, ranking in the 70th percentile (3 stars), with particularly strong middle school performance—its 8th-grade Algebra I pass rate (76.8%) far exceeds both district (32.8%) and state (48.1%) averages. At the other end, Susie King Taylor Community School ranks in the 3rd percentile (0 stars), with math proficiency rates as low as 5.8% in 6th grade—a staggering gap compared to Classical Academy's 47.1% in the same grade. Henderson E Formey Junior Early Learning Center serves only PK-K students and has no test scores, but its 37% chronic absenteeism rate is a serious concern for early childhood development.
Key takeaways: Chronic absenteeism strongly differentiates outcomes—the two high performers (Garrison at 4.5%, Classical Academy at 6.6%) have far lower rates than Susie King Taylor (13.6%). Per-student spending does not predict success, as Susie King Taylor and Garrison spend nearly identical amounts (~$17,500) yet produce vastly different results. Classical Academy's success proves that high-poverty schools can excel with the right model, while Susie King Taylor's declining performance across grade levels suggests learning gaps compound over time. The 31401 zip code offers families starkly different educational trajectories within just a few miles, making school choice critically important.
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