Summary:
Zip code 31405 in Savannah, Georgia is home to a single middle school, DeRenne Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 within the Savannah-Chatham County school district.
DeRenne Middle School serves a student body where 94% qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it spends a substantial $18,989 per student with a favorable 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio. Despite these resources, the school faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates in math, science, and social studies well below both district and state averages. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, only 12.5% of 6th graders, 8.9% of 7th graders, and 19.5% of 8th graders were proficient in math, compared to state averages of 40.7%, 42.0%, and 46.3% respectively. The most recent ELA data from 2024-2025 shows proficiency rates between 10.2% and 14.7%, which were relatively stronger than that year's math scores. Chronic absenteeism is a critical concern, with 26.9% of students chronically absent versus 17.7% statewide.
There is some positive momentum, as the school showed notable year-over-year improvements in 2025-2026, with 6th grade math proficiency nearly tripling from 4.2% to 12.5%, 8th grade math nearly doubling from 10.1% to 19.5%, and 8th grade social studies more than doubling from 4.8% to 11.1%. The school's state ranking also improved from the 4th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 12th percentile in 2025-2026. However, the school remains in the bottom 12% of Georgia middle schools, and the persistent gaps—such as a 33.1 percentage point deficit in 7th grade math—indicate that while targeted interventions may be helping, significant work remains to close the achievement gap. For parents, this school offers small class sizes and high per-student investment, but attendance and academic support will be key areas to watch.
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