Summary:
Zip code 39854 in Georgetown, Georgia, is served by two schools within the Quitman County district, which together educate roughly 309 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in a small, rural community.
For parents, the most striking story here is the contrast between the two schools. Quitman County High School stands out with a perfect 100% graduation rate, far exceeding the state average of 87.2%, and a chronic absenteeism rate of just 10.2% compared to the state's 17.7%. This is a remarkable achievement for a school serving a high-poverty population. However, its academic performance lags significantly, with only 11.1% of students proficient in Biology and 6.1% in U.S. History, compared to state averages of 47.2% and 38.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, Quitman County Elementary (PK-8) shows a more encouraging trajectory. While its test scores remain below state averages, its state ranking has improved for three consecutive years, and its chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.6% is exceptionally low—one-tenth of the state average. The elementary school also posted significant year-over-year math gains in 3rd and 5th grades, though 6th grade math saw a concerning drop.
Both schools benefit from low student-teacher ratios (12.1:1 elementary, 14.5:1 high school) and high per-student spending ($23,217 and $18,172, respectively), yet academic proficiency remains a challenge. The widest achievement gap is in 8th grade social studies, where only 6.7% of students are proficient versus 40.2% statewide. The district's overall performance hinges entirely on these two schools, making systemic improvement both difficult and critical. For parents, the high school's perfect graduation rate and the elementary school's improving rankings and stellar attendance offer genuine bright spots, but the low test scores across most subjects suggest that translating resources into academic proficiency remains the district's central challenge.
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