Ball Ground Elementary School

Q: Is Ball Ground Elementary School a good school?

Ball Ground Elementary School ranks 387 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ball Ground Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 592 students in grades PK-5 in Ball Ground, Georgia, which is part of the Cherokee County School District.

While Ball Ground Elementary is part of a generally high-performing school district, the school itself appears to be underperforming compared to its immediate neighbors. Its test scores on the Milestones Assessment are generally lower than the Cherokee County and Georgia state averages across grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 37.8% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 47.3% in Cherokee County and 38.4% statewide. Additionally, Ball Ground Elementary's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 348th out of 1,214 Georgia elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 637th out of 1,234 in 2018-2019, with its current ranking for 2023-2024 at 387th out of 1,248 schools.

Despite having a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (23.65% in 2022-2023) and higher per-student spending than the state average, Ball Ground Elementary's performance lags behind many other schools in the area, such as Avery Elementary and Indian Knoll Elementary, both of which have significantly higher test scores and statewide rankings. This suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as instructional quality, school leadership, and community engagement, may be playing a role in Ball Ground Elementary's performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

321 Valley St
Ball Ground, GA 30107

(770) 721-5900

District: Cherokee County

SchoolDigger Rank:
387^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,779

Students who attend Ball Ground Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Creekland Middle School
High:	Creekview High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 613

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.5%

Hispanic:

9.5%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.5%

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Compare Ball Ground Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ball Ground Elementary School ranks better than 69% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 17^th among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Cherokee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.34. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (83.5%), Hispanic (9.5%), two or more races (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ball Ground Elementary School is 13.1, which is the 9^th best among 23 elementary schools in the Cherokee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Ball Ground Elementary School employs 46.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ball Ground Elementary School is $10,779, which is the 7^th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Cherokee County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ball Ground Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Cherokee County:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherokee County 28^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Ball Ground Elementary School.

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Rank History for Ball Ground Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	76.83	224^th	1101	79.7%
2007	81.33	150^th	1125	86.7%
2008	70.56	316^th	1134	72.1%
2009	70.77	322^nd	1133	71.6%
2010	68.03	411^th	1183	65.3%
2011	76.06	280^th	1212	76.9%
2012	72.79	328^th	1201	72.7%
2015	47.20	604^th	1240	51.3%
2016	57.58	467^th	1233	62.1%
2017	64.65	377^th	1205	68.7%
2018	65.91	369^th	1209	69.5%
2019	46.31	637^th	1234	48.4%
2021	67.84	348^th	1214	71.3%
2022	66.86	373^rd	1244	70.0%
2023	65.50	390^th	1242	68.6%
2024	66.34	387^th	1248	69.0%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, July 27, 2019

I love our little school! The principal is excellent and we’ve had great, caring teachers every year. It’s a shame school rankings are based solely on standardized tests. There are so many other factors that are more important to determine how good a school is than standardized tests. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ball Ground Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	285	285
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	283	283
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	276	276
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	282	282
1994	276	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	276
1995	325	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1996	325	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1997	369	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	371
1998	391	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	393
1999	404	1	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	407
2000	404	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
2001	405	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	407
2002	443	3	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
2003	443	3	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
2004	429	1	1	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
2005	379	1	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	2	396
2006	408	2	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	6	430
2007	417	4	0	12	0	n/a	n/a	3	436
2008	408	3	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	11	433
2009	407	4	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	12	437
2010	394	10	1	21	2	0	12	0	440
2011	389	4	4	18	1	0	10	0	426
2012	375	3	3	18	0	0	6	0	405
2013	491	4	5	23	0	0	6	0	529
2014	477	6	4	26	0	0	12	0	525
2015	522	8	2	25	0	0	12	0	569
2016	466	6	2	22	1	0	11	0	508
2017	477	9	1	20	1	0	9	0	517
2018	493	6	2	21	0	0	9	0	531
2019	499	4	2	31	0	0	15	0	551
2020	526	3	3	29	0	0	14	0	575
2021	484	3	1	31	0	0	18	0	537
2022	486	11	1	33	0	0	29	0	560
2023	513	7	0	41	0	0	31	0	592
2024	512	7	2	58	1	0	33	0	613

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ball Ground Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	285	18.0	15.8	21.1
1991	283	18.0	15.7	28.6
1992	276	18.0	15.3	26.4
1993	282	15.0	18.8	26.2
1994	276	18.7	14.8	27.2
1995	325	21.0	15.5	29.2
1996	325	21.0	15.5	29.2
1997	371	21.0	17.7	33.4
1998	393	23.6	16.7	31.3
1999	407	24.5	16.6	31
2000	406	25.0	16.2	26.8
2001	407	22.6	18.0	24.3
2002	454	25.5	17.8	22
2003	454	25.5	17.8	22
2004	444	23.5	18.9	21.2
2005	396	28.0	14.1	28.9
2006	430	28.7	15.0	29.5
2007	436	30.9	14.1	30
2008	433	35.0	12.4	31.3
2009	437	31.8	13.7	33.9
2010	440	29.2	15.0	35.9
2011	426	28.1	15.1	33.1
2012	405	28.0	14.4	36
2013	529	30.4	17.4	38.4
2014	525	31.3	16.7	39.8
2015	569	34.0	16.7	33.4
2016	508	32.0	15.8	32.9
2017	517	31.4	16.4	33.1
2018	531	34.3	15.4	30.7
2019	551	37.7	14.6	27.2
2020	575	40.4	14.2	27.3
2021	537	38.0	14.1	25.7
2022	560	62.4	8.9	n/a
2023	592	39.5	14.9	23.6
2024	613	46.6	13.1	40.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ball Ground Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	285	18.0	15.8	21.1
1991	283	18.0	15.7	28.6
1992	276	18.0	15.3	26.4
1993	282	15.0	18.8	26.2
1994	276	18.7	14.8	27.2
1995	325	21.0	15.5	29.2
1996	325	21.0	15.5	29.2
1997	371	21.0	17.7	33.4
1998	393	23.6	16.7	31.3
1999	407	24.5	16.6	31
2000	406	25.0	16.2	26.8
2001	407	22.6	18.0	24.3
2002	454	25.5	17.8	22
2003	454	25.5	17.8	22
2004	444	23.5	18.9	21.2
2005	396	28.0	14.1	28.9
2006	430	28.7	15.0	29.5
2007	436	30.9	14.1	30
2008	433	35.0	12.4	31.3
2009	437	31.8	13.7	33.9
2010	440	29.2	15.0	35.9
2011	426	28.1	15.1	33.1
2012	405	28.0	14.4	36
2013	529	30.4	17.4	38.4
2014	525	31.3	16.7	39.8
2015	569	34.0	16.7	33.4
2016	508	32.0	15.8	32.9
2017	517	31.4	16.4	33.1
2018	531	34.3	15.4	30.7
2019	551	37.7	14.6	27.2
2020	575	40.4	14.2	27.3
2021	537	38.0	14.1	25.7
2022	560	62.4	8.9	n/a
2023	592	39.5	14.9	23.6
2024	613	46.6	13.1	40.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ball Ground Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$154 (1.7%)	$8,987 (98.3%)	$9,141
2018	$150 (1.5%)	$9,528 (98.5%)	$9,678
2019	$219 (2.0%)	$10,560 (98.0%)	$10,779

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ball Ground Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 637^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 390^th of 1242 Elementary schools	20.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ball Ground Elementary School)	36.8	49	12.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee County)	49.9	48.3	1.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ball Ground Elementary School)	44.8	54.9	10.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cherokee County)	68.6	58.8	9.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ball Ground Elementary School)	36.4	36.7	0.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee County)	50.4	47	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ball Ground Elementary School)	45.5	49.4	3.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cherokee County)	65.8	60	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ball Ground Elementary School)	43.8	36.3	7.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee County)	57.6	52.7	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ball Ground Elementary School)	42.5	49.5	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cherokee County)	56.8	54.1	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Ball Ground Elementary School)	41.1	46.2	5.1%
5th Grade Science (Cherokee County)	51.5	48.5	3%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	551	592	7.4%
African American	4	7	75%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	31	41	32.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	499	513	2.8%
Two or More Races	15	31	106.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	27.2%	23.6%	3.6%

Schools Near Ball Ground Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ball Ground Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	321 Valley St	Ball Ground	30107	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-5900	613	47	13.1	40.5%	512 (83.5%)	7 (1.1%)	58 (9.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.4%)	66.3	387^th of 1248 public elementary schools	69.0%		65.5	390^th of 1242 public elementary schools	68.6%	3	37.8	40.8	53.1	44.9	62.2	52.5	55.0	$10,779	$219	$10,560
Tate Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5630 Highway 53 E	Tate	30177	Pickens County	Pickens County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 253-1860	477	35	13.6	68.3%	416 (87.2%)	6 (1.3%)	33 (6.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.0%)	40.6	688^th of 1248 public elementary schools	44.9%		46.8	599^th of 1242 public elementary schools	51.8%	89	19.8	34.9		39.6	44.0			$11,742	$534	$11,207
Macedonia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10370 E Cherokee Dr	Canton	30115	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 704-1372	734	48	15.3	18.0%	621 (84.6%)	12 (1.6%)	62 (8.4%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.2%)	87.7	157^th of 1248 public elementary schools	87.4%		83.4	194^th of 1242 public elementary schools	84.4%	37	55.6	57.2	74.6	65.3	69.6	68.9	55.7	$9,095	$157	$8,938
Clayton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	221 Upper Burris Rd	Canton	30114	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-5860	313	25	12.6	45.7%	266 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	69.9	346^th of 1248 public elementary schools	72.3%		66.3	377^th of 1242 public elementary schools	69.6%	31	30.6	42.6	51.0	67.3	74.5	52.9	49.0	$11,352	$273	$11,079
Harmony Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	550 Harmony School Rd	Jasper	30143	Pickens County	Pickens County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 253-1840	488	44	11.0	69.1%	432 (88.5%)	4 (0.8%)	36 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.9%)	58.9	463^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	62.9%		51.6	534^th of 1242 public elementary schools	57.0%	71	34.0	32.2		54.4	60.0			$11,446	$668	$10,779
Avery Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6391 E Cherokee Dr	Canton	30115	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 704-1343	1,132	76	14.8	23.5%	869 (76.8%)	36 (3.2%)	154 (13.6%)	24 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (4.2%)	90.5	130^th of 1248 public elementary schools	89.6%		88.7	144^th of 1242 public elementary schools	88.4%	14	63.1	50.3	72.5	78.2	73.2	72.5	61.3	$8,968	$276	$8,692
William G. Hasty- Senior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Brown Industrial Pkwy	Canton	30114	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 721-6555	1,127	95	11.8	76.8%	252 (22.4%)	101 (9.0%)	716 (63.5%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (4.7%)	40.2	693^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	44.5%		45.3	614^th of 1242 public elementary schools	50.6%	79	30.0	29.7	37.7	40.0	44.3	35.8	30.8	$12,395	$1,642	$10,753
R. M. Moore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1375 Puckett Rd	Waleska	30183	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 704-1212	1,027	88	11.6	62.7%	518 (50.4%)	54 (5.3%)	398 (38.8%)	10 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.6%)	44.8	630^th of 1248 public elementary schools	49.5%		41.3	668^th of 1242 public elementary schools	46.2%	38	29.8	29.5	44.2	33.3	54.1	37.0	39.1	$11,838	$1,387	$10,451
Free Home Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12525 Cumming Hwy	Canton	30115	Cherokee County	Cherokee County	No	No	No	No	(770) 721-5960	299	25	12.2	32.4%	251 (83.9%)	5 (1.7%)	36 (12.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	68.4	366^th of 1248 public elementary schools	70.7%		81.6	213^th of 1242 public elementary schools	82.9%	153	35.7	51.2	64.0	46.4	51.2	54.0	52.0	$10,823	$156	$10,667
Poole's Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7110 Heardsville Rd	Cumming	30028	Forsyth County	Forsyth County	No	No	No	No	(770) 888-1285	1,197	80	14.9	22.8%	612 (51.1%)	43 (3.6%)	158 (13.2%)	332 (27.7%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (3.8%)	69.6	348^th of 1248 public elementary schools	72.1%		62.9	420^th of 1242 public elementary schools	66.2%	72	48.9	37.9	55.9	52.2	57.6	54.7	47.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Ball Ground Elementary School

How many students attend Ball Ground Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 613 students attended Ball Ground Elementary School.

Is Ball Ground Elementary School a good school?

Ball Ground Elementary School ranks 387^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Ball Ground Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ball Ground Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Creekland Middle School
High : Creekview High School

What is the racial makeup of Ball Ground Elementary School?

Students at Ball Ground Elementary School are 84% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Ball Ground Elementary School in?

Cherokee County

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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.