Summary:
Zip code 31792 in Thomasville, Georgia, is home to four elementary schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade across the Thomas County and Thomasville City school districts, with school sizes ranging from 263 to 712 students.
Jerger Elementary School is the clear standout in this area, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 84th percentile statewide. Its math proficiency rates are dramatically higher than its peers—79.8% of third graders are proficient in math compared to just 27.8% at Scott Elementary School and 8.1% at Harper Elementary School. Jerger also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 8.8%, well below the district average of 18.6%. At the other end of the spectrum, Harper Elementary faces significant challenges with a 0th percentile ranking, the highest absenteeism rate at 32.3%, and single-digit proficiency scores in most subjects. Hand In Hand Primary serves only pre-K through kindergarten, so it has no test scores, but it stands out for serving a student body where 100% qualify for free or reduced lunch.
One of the most striking findings is that spending does not correlate with outcomes—Harper spends the most per student at $22,315 yet achieves the lowest scores, while Jerger spends the least at $13,308 and achieves the highest. Chronic absenteeism appears to be a strong predictor of performance, with higher absence rates tracking closely with lower test scores. Additionally, math proficiency declines as students progress through grade levels across all three tested schools, suggesting learning gaps widen over time. The Thomasville City district overall ranks in the 24th percentile statewide, but this masks the wide disparity between Jerger's strong performance and the significant challenges at Scott and Harper. For parents, this data suggests that school choice within this zip code matters greatly, with Jerger offering substantially stronger academic outcomes than its nearby counterparts.
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