Summary:
Zip code 39819 in Bainbridge, Georgia, is home to three schools within the Decatur County district, serving roughly 2,168 students in grades 6 through 12, in an area where nearly all students come from low-income households.
For parents, the standout is Bainbridge Middle School, which posts extraordinary Algebra I End of Course proficiency rates of 94.8% in 2025-2026 and 100% the prior year—more than double the state average and over three times the district average. This success contrasts sharply with its general math scores (25-33% proficient in grades 6-8), suggesting a highly effective advanced math pathway for select students. Meanwhile, Bainbridge High School excels at keeping students on track, with a 96.6% graduation rate and a 0.8% dropout rate, both far better than state averages. However, its academic proficiency is slipping: Algebra I dropped from 45.7% to 27.3% and US History from 51.0% to 34.5% in one year, and its state ranking has fallen from the 70th to the 42nd percentile over three years. The New Beginning Learning Center, an alternative school, faces the steepest challenges with a 62.3% graduation rate, 7.8% dropout rate, and 68.6% chronic absenteeism, while receiving the least funding per student ($9,418) and carrying the highest student-teacher ratio (24:1).
Across all three schools, chronic absenteeism is a systemic issue—ranging from 27.7% at the high school to 68.6% at the learning center, versus 17.7% statewide. Science is a relative bright spot, with both the middle school (39.7% in 8th grade science) and high school (36.3% in Biology) beating state averages. The disconnect between Bainbridge High's strong graduation rate and its low test proficiency (27-36%) raises questions about whether graduates are truly meeting grade-level standards. Given the district's high-poverty context, the middle school's Algebra I success proves high achievement is possible, making attendance and targeted support the most promising levers for improvement.
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