Summary:
Zip code 31406 in Savannah, Georgia is home to three elementary schools—Hesse School, White Bluff Elementary School, and Isle of Hope School—serving grades PK-5 or PK-8 within the Savannah-Chatham County district, where all three schools serve predominantly economically disadvantaged student populations.
Hesse School is the clear standout in this area, ranking in the 41st percentile statewide compared to White Bluff (9th percentile) and Isle of Hope (15th percentile). Hesse’s most impressive achievement is its Algebra I End of Course exam, where 100% of students scored proficient or better—far exceeding the district’s 32.8% and the state’s 48.1%. Hesse also posts the strongest math scores across nearly every grade level, including 8th grade math at 48.6%, which beats the state average. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.4%, the best in the group. White Bluff, by contrast, struggles significantly, with 5th grade math proficiency at only 14.5% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 21.5%—well above the district (16.6%) and state (17.7%) averages. Isle of Hope falls in between but remains in the bottom quintile, with a sharp drop in 4th grade math (15.4%) suggesting possible transition challenges.
Notably, per-student spending does not align with outcomes. Isle of Hope spends the most at $18,502 per student yet performs near the bottom, while Hesse spends the least ($16,695) and outperforms its peers. White Bluff spends $1,631 more per student than Hesse but achieves roughly half the proficiency rates. Hesse’s success, despite 70.78% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, demonstrates that high achievement is possible in high-poverty settings. However, Hesse’s scores fluctuate significantly year-to-year, so single-year comparisons can be misleading. For families in this zip code, Hesse is clearly the strongest option, while White Bluff’s attendance crisis and consistently low performance warrant serious concern.
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