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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 31501

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

At a glance

Schools

1,512

Students

Top rankedWilliams Heights Elementary School454^th of 1,219 Georgia elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Williams Heights Elementary School up 158 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

Zip code 31501 in Waycross, Georgia is home to three schools within the Ware County school district, serving a combined 1,512 students across two elementary schools and one middle school, with no high schools in the immediate area.

For parents exploring this area, Williams Heights Elementary School stands out as the top performer, boasting the highest state ranking (454th, 63rd percentile) and the most dramatic improvement—jumping 158 spots year-over-year. It also has the lowest poverty rate (80.28% free/reduced lunch) and highest per-student spending ($15,748) in the zip code. Its 5th grade science proficiency (55.9%) exceeds the state average by nearly 12 points, and its 4th grade math scores surged from 28.2% to 60.5% in a single year. Meanwhile, Center Elementary School serves the highest-need population (95.74% free/reduced lunch) yet still manages to outperform Williams Heights in 3rd grade math (44% vs. 33.4%) and 4th grade math (61.6% vs. 60.5%), though its 5th grade math drops sharply to 30.3%. Waycross Middle School is the standout for advanced math, with an extraordinary 90.9% Algebra I proficiency rate—nearly double the district and state averages—but its standard grade-level math lags, particularly in 7th grade where only 21.8% of students are proficient versus the state's 42%.

All three schools earn 3-star ratings and maintain chronic absenteeism rates below the district average (19.5%), with Center Elementary's 16.4% even beating the state rate (17.7%). Student-teacher ratios are favorable across the board, ranging from 12.6:1 at Waycross Middle to 13.4:1 at Center Elementary. While the schools generally fall below state averages in most grade-level subjects, the strong science performance, exceptional Algebra I results, and positive ranking trends suggest a cautiously optimistic outlook. The most promising opportunities include replicating Waycross Middle's advanced math success, investigating the 7th grade math gap, and studying Williams Heights' 4th grade math improvement as a potential model for other grades.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)						Milestones Assessment Science (2026)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Williams Heights Elementary School	Public	K-5	705 Dewey St	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2399	436	33	13.3	80.3%	139 (31.9%)	226 (51.8%)	25 (5.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.2%)	57.9	454^th of 1219 public elementary schools	62.8%		46.1	612^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.6%	158		33.4	60.5	45.6				55.9			$15,748	$1,149	$14,599
Center Elementary School	Public	K-5	2114 Dorothy St	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2366	470	35	13.4	95.7%	109 (23.2%)	269 (57.2%)	49 (10.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.3%)	47.5	583^rd of 1219 public elementary schools	52.2%		46.7	609^th of 1238 public elementary schools	50.8%	26		44.0	61.6	30.3				36.8			$14,702	$1,429	$13,274
Waycross Middle School	Public	6-8	700 Central Ave	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2333	606	48	12.6	90.8%	222 (36.6%)	293 (48.3%)	44 (7.3%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.6%)	45.8	288^th of 578 public middle schools	50.2%		40.2	339^th of 585 public middle schools	42.1%	51	90.9				31.6	21.8	45.7		35.3	36.7	$14,744	$1,364	$13,380

Cities Near Zip Code 31501

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Waycross	0.45 mi	11	141^st
Blackshear	5.72 mi	4	18^th
Hoboken	13.57 mi	1	62^nd
Patterson	16.57 mi	1	37^th
Nahunta	19.39 mi	4	118^th

See the top GA Georgia cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.