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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 39842

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Georgia rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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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

935

Students

Districts

Top rankedCooper-Carver Elementary School1075^th of 1,219 Georgia elementary schools

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Summary:

Zip code 39842, encompassing Dawson, Georgia, is served by the Terrell County School District and includes four schools: Cooper-Carver Elementary School, Terrell Middle School, Terrell High School, and Terrell Regional Youth Detention Center, which operates under the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Academic performance across the district is significantly below state averages, with a clear decline as students advance. Cooper-Carver Elementary School is the strongest performer, with 4th grade math proficiency at 31.2% and 5th grade science at 25%, though it still trails state averages. However, there is a dramatic "5th grade math cliff," where proficiency plunges from 31.2% in 4th grade to just 8.8% in 5th grade. Terrell Middle School shows critically low results, with math proficiency between 7.6% and 8.8% and 8th grade science at just 4.4%—far below state averages. Terrell High School posts End of Course proficiency rates of 10-11% in Algebra, Biology, and U.S. History, yet maintains a 92.3% graduation rate, exceeding the state average. The Terrell Regional Youth Detention Center serves just 14 students with a 2.3:1 student-teacher ratio, offering a highly individualized but specialized environment.

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern, affecting 21.8% of middle school and 23.2% of high school students, while the elementary school is lower at 14.4%. Per-student spending is high—ranging from $18,297 at the elementary school to $22,045 at the middle school—yet results remain low, suggesting funding alone isn't solving underlying challenges. The district serves an almost entirely economically disadvantaged population, with 100% free/reduced lunch rates at the elementary and middle schools. Notably, current-year ELA scores are not yet available; the most recent data from 2024-2025 showed 5th grade ELA proficiency at 41.4%, near the state average. Overall, this district faces systemic struggles, with rankings falling across all schools, though the elementary school offers the brightest spot for early education.

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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 Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (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	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 Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History 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
Terrell Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	6-12	1666 Albany Hwy	Dawson	39842	Terrell County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 508-6570	14	6	2.3	78.6%	0 (0.0%)	14 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Terrell County High School	Public	9-12	201 Greenwave Blvd	Dawson	39842	Terrell County	Terrell County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 995-2544	266	20	13.0	88.7%	6 (2.3%)	244 (91.7%)	13 (4.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	7.3	428^th of 455 public high schools	5.9%		16.2	380^th of 451 public high schools	15.7%	48	11.2	10.6	10.0										$21,122	$5,044	$16,079
Cooper-Carver Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	455 Greenwave Blvd	Dawson	39842	Terrell County	Terrell County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 995-2843	440	29	15.2	100.0%	16 (3.6%)	390 (88.6%)	18 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	15.3	1075^th of 1219 public elementary schools	11.8%		27	889^th of 1238 public elementary schools	28.2%	186				27.7	31.2	8.8				25.0			$18,297	$5,017	$13,280
Terrell County Middle School	Public	6-8	201 Greenwave Blvd	Dawson	39842	Terrell County	Terrell County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 995-2828	215	18	11.6	100.0%	6 (2.8%)	198 (92.1%)	10 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	7.1	563^rd of 578 public middle schools	2.6%		15.5	510^th of 585 public middle schools	12.8%	53							7.6	8.4	8.8		4.4	4.5	$22,045	$5,049	$16,997

Cities Near Zip Code 39842

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Dawson	0.97 mi	4	350^th
Shellman	10.92 mi	1
Leesburg	15.46 mi	8	50^th
Albany	15.5 mi	22	275^th
Preston	21.37 mi	2	322^nd

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.