Summary:
ZIP code 31558 in Saint Marys, GA, is served by five schools within the highly-ranked Camden County district (ranked #11 in Georgia), including four elementary schools and one middle school, with no high school in the immediate area.
This is a strong, high-performing cluster of schools, with every campus ranking in the 80th percentile or higher statewide. The standout is Crooked River Elementary School, which made a remarkable leap from the 78th to the 90th percentile in one year, earning a 5-star rating and posting the strongest 5th-grade math and science scores in the ZIP code. Saint Marys Middle School is an academic powerhouse in advanced coursework, achieving a perfect 100% proficiency rate in Algebra I for two consecutive years and an impressive 97.9% proficiency in high school Physical Science. Saint Marys Elementary School is a consistent improver, climbing to the 90th percentile and posting the highest 3rd-grade math scores in the area. Meanwhile, Sugarmill Elementary and Mary Lee Clark Elementary School rank slightly lower, though still well above state averages.
Science is a clear district-wide strength, with proficiency rates far exceeding state averages at every grade level. However, parents should note a significant drop in math proficiency between 5th grade (about 64%) and 6th grade (43.7%) at the middle school, suggesting a challenging transition. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at Mary Lee Clark (26.4%, well above the state average), while Sugarmill has the lowest rate (14.5%) yet shows weaker early-grade math performance. Per-student spending varies by about $2,500, but higher spending does not consistently correlate with better outcomes. Overall, this is an excellent school district with strong academics, though the transition to middle school math and attendance at certain schools merit attention.
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