Summary:
Zip code 39817 in Bainbridge, Georgia, is served by three elementary schools within the Decatur County school district, collectively educating about 2,010 students across grades PK-5 in a high-poverty community where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Hutto Elementary School is the only school in this zip code with published test scores, serving grades 3-5 with 790 students. The school has experienced a troubling three-year decline in state rankings, dropping from the 52nd percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 22nd percentile (1 star) in 2025-2026. Current math proficiency rates range from 26.2% (4th grade) to 31.5% (3rd grade), all well below state averages of 44-50%. While 3rd grade math improved by 3.5 points year-over-year, 4th and 5th grades declined by 6.3 and 4.6 points respectively. Science proficiency sits at 33.0% versus the state's 44.2%. The school operates efficiently with the lowest per-student spending ($12,075) and best student-teacher ratio (13.6:1) among the three schools, but its chronic absenteeism rate of 20.6% exceeds the state average of 17.7%.
The two primary schools—Jones-Wheat Primary School (664 students) and West Bainbridge Primary School (556 students)—serve grades PK-2 and spend significantly more per student ($14,453 and $14,438 respectively) than Hutto, though neither has published test scores to measure outcomes. Jones-Wheat previously earned 4-star ratings (81st percentile in 2017-2018), demonstrating these schools can achieve higher performance despite district challenges. The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism: Jones-Wheat reports 30.7% and West Bainbridge 33.8%—nearly double the state average—which is particularly alarming for early grades where attendance is critical for literacy development. English Language Arts scores are not yet available for the current year and will be released in December, which will be essential for understanding the full academic picture.
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