Gaines Elementary School

Summary:

Gaines Elementary School is a public elementary school in Athens, Georgia, serving 518 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Clarke County School District, which is ranked 146 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Gaines Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Georgia elementary schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school significantly underperforms compared to the Clarke County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments, with only 17.6% of 3rd graders, 7.3% of 4th graders, and 10.9% of 5th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts. Gaines Elementary also has lower proficiency rates in math and science compared to the district and state. The school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 81.85% to 82.82%, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

When comparing Gaines Elementary to other nearby schools in the Clarke County district, it becomes clear that Gaines is an outlier in terms of academic performance. For example, Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary, located just 4 miles away, consistently outperforms Gaines Elementary by a significant margin on the Milestones Assessments, with proficiency rates that are 2-3 times higher. Despite the additional resources and lower student-teacher ratios at Gaines Elementary, the school has struggled to implement effective strategies to improve student learning and achievement, and has been a persistently low-performing school for many years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

900 Gaines School Rd
Athens, GA 30605

(706) 357-5333

District: Clarke County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1205^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,017

Students who attend Gaines Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hilsman Middle School
High:	Cedar Shoals High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.9

Number of students: 545

Racial breakdown:

African American:

70.8%

Hispanic:

16.7%

White:

6.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Gaines Elementary School ranks worse than 96.6% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 12^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Clarke County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.02. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (70.8%), Hispanic (16.7%), White (6.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gaines Elementary School is 10.9. 11 elementary schools in the Clarke County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Gaines Elementary School employs 49.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gaines Elementary School is $14,017, which is the 7^th highest among 14 elementary schools in the Clarke County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Clarke County:

SchoolDigger ranks Clarke County 146^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Gaines Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2007	5.62	1095^th	1125	2.7%
2008	7.27	1094^th	1134	3.5%
2009	8.09	1092^nd	1133	3.6%
2010	24.89	995^th	1183	15.9%
2011	16.19	1089^th	1212	10.1%
2012	13.30	1092^nd	1201	9.1%
2013	8.99	1137^th	1225	7.2%
2014	5.84	1173^rd	1231	4.7%
2015	10.40	1163^rd	1240	6.2%
2016	14.51	1080^th	1233	12.4%
2017	11.46	1101^st	1205	8.6%
2018	9.58	1137^th	1209	6.0%
2019	6.13	1213^th	1234	1.7%
2021	8.15	1174^th	1214	3.3%
2022	9.22	1192^nd	1244	4.2%
2023	8.23	1210^th	1242	2.6%
2024	9.02	1205^th	1248	3.4%

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

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Gaines Elementary School

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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	746	746
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	569	569
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	568	568
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	505	505
1994	193	316	14	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	528
1995	141	298	27	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	480
1996	141	298	27	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	480
1997	141	323	22	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	501
1998	127	354	29	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	531
1999	117	340	16	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	507
2000	108	325	12	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	493
2001	76	382	9	56	1	n/a	n/a	0	524
2002	44	366	10	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	469
2003	44	366	10	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	469
2004	39	312	12	51	0	n/a	n/a	0	414
2005	35	313	7	50	1	n/a	n/a	8	414
2006	38	353	11	78	0	n/a	n/a	6	486
2007	36	426	10	76	0	n/a	n/a	12	560
2008	43	468	6	84	1	n/a	n/a	18	620
2009	35	525	10	79	2	n/a	n/a	22	673
2010	31	451	11	52	0	0	32	0	577
2011	18	479	7	61	0	0	28	0	593
2012	22	479	9	53	0	0	25	0	588
2013	24	490	17	53	0	0	17	0	601
2014	29	483	16	63	0	0	28	0	619
2015	24	439	6	81	0	0	19	0	569
2016	40	426	9	75	2	0	24	0	576
2017	42	413	5	81	0	0	15	0	556
2018	27	388	4	76	0	1	16	0	512
2019	26	416	6	93	1	1	16	0	559
2020	43	401	6	80	3	1	20	0	554
2021	28	395	1	81	2	0	22	0	529
2022	43	352	0	90	2	0	23	0	510
2023	38	355	0	93	3	0	29	0	518
2024	36	386	0	91	5	0	27	0	545

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 Gaines Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	746	47.0	15.8	39.9
1991	569	40.0	14.2	43.1
1992	568	41.5	13.6	48.9
1993	505	35.0	14.4	53.5
1994	528	38.2	13.8	59.8
1995	480	33.5	14.3	64.6
1996	480	33.5	14.3	64.6
1997	501	32.6	15.4	68.5
1998	531	39.1	13.6	74.2
1999	507	41.4	12.2	76.3
2000	493	38.4	12.8	76.9
2001	524	31.9	16.4	79.4
2002	469	24.9	18.8	88.7
2003	469	24.9	18.8	88.7
2004	414	30.6	13.5	94
2005	414	36.0	11.5	94.8
2006	486	37.4	13.0	92.7
2007	560	42.2	13.3	92.2
2008	620	49.2	12.6	92.4
2009	673	53.0	12.7	94.9
2010	577	49.5	11.6	97.6
2011	593	49.0	12.1	96.5
2012	588	50.5	11.6	95.4
2013	601	48.5	12.3	98.7
2014	619	44.5	13.9	99.5
2015	569	52.0	10.9	98.2
2016	576	47.0	12.2	92.2
2017	556	47.2	11.7	92.1
2018	512	49.0	10.4	92
2019	559	52.0	10.7	91.9
2020	554	53.0	10.4	86.1
2021	529	54.7	9.6	81.9
2022	510	53.1	9.6	n/a
2023	518	50.0	10.3	82.8
2024	545	49.6	10.9	100

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 Gaines Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	746	47.0	15.8	39.9
1991	569	40.0	14.2	43.1
1992	568	41.5	13.6	48.9
1993	505	35.0	14.4	53.5
1994	528	38.2	13.8	59.8
1995	480	33.5	14.3	64.6
1996	480	33.5	14.3	64.6
1997	501	32.6	15.4	68.5
1998	531	39.1	13.6	74.2
1999	507	41.4	12.2	76.3
2000	493	38.4	12.8	76.9
2001	524	31.9	16.4	79.4
2002	469	24.9	18.8	88.7
2003	469	24.9	18.8	88.7
2004	414	30.6	13.5	94
2005	414	36.0	11.5	94.8
2006	486	37.4	13.0	92.7
2007	560	42.2	13.3	92.2
2008	620	49.2	12.6	92.4
2009	673	53.0	12.7	94.9
2010	577	49.5	11.6	97.6
2011	593	49.0	12.1	96.5
2012	588	50.5	11.6	95.4
2013	601	48.5	12.3	98.7
2014	619	44.5	13.9	99.5
2015	569	52.0	10.9	98.2
2016	576	47.0	12.2	92.2
2017	556	47.2	11.7	92.1
2018	512	49.0	10.4	92
2019	559	52.0	10.7	91.9
2020	554	53.0	10.4	86.1
2021	529	54.7	9.6	81.9
2022	510	53.1	9.6	n/a
2023	518	50.0	10.3	82.8
2024	545	49.6	10.9	100

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 Gaines Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,625 (13.0%)	$10,872 (87.0%)	$12,497
2018	$1,397 (9.8%)	$12,807 (90.2%)	$14,204
2019	$1,348 (9.6%)	$12,670 (90.4%)	$14,017

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gaines 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 1213^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1210^th of 1242 Elementary schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gaines Elementary School)	8	5.6	2.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clarke County)	31	29.2	1.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gaines Elementary School)	14.9	15.3	0.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	40.4	36.6	3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gaines Elementary School)	16.7	4.7	12%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke County)	35.1	24.6	10.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gaines Elementary School)	16.9	9.4	7.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	38.9	34.7	4.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Gaines Elementary School)	15.4	14.1	1.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Clarke County)	34.7	29.2	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Gaines Elementary School)	6.6	9.9	3.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Clarke County)	30.3	26.5	3.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Gaines Elementary School)	4.4	11.3	6.9%
5th Grade Science (Clarke County)	31.2	26.9	4.3%
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	559	518	7.3%
African American	416	355	14.7%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	6	0	100%
Hispanic	93	93
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	26	38	46.2%
Two or More Races	16	29	81.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.9%	82.8%	9.1%

Schools Near Gaines 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
Gaines Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Gaines School Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5333	545	50	10.9	100.0%	36 (6.6%)	386 (70.8%)	91 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.0%)	9	1205^th of 1248 public elementary schools	3.4%		8.2	1210^th of 1242 public elementary schools	2.6%	5	17.6	7.3	10.9	20.6	19.5	4.7	7.8	$14,017	$1,348	$12,670
Barnett Shoals Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3220 Barnett Shoals Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5334	488	48	10.0	91.2%	149 (30.5%)	237 (48.6%)	54 (11.1%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.6%)	44.6	631^st of 1248 public elementary schools	49.4%		38	723^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	41.8%	92	45.2	29.6	36.6	43.8	42.6	32.4	31.0	$14,084	$1,262	$12,822
Whit Davis Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1450 Whit Davis Rd	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 369-1036	402	40	10.0	79.4%	96 (23.9%)	174 (43.3%)	86 (21.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.2%)	26	914^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.8%		23.1	956^th of 1242 public elementary schools	23.0%	42	24.6	26.9	27.8	36.1	28.4	22.2	23.1	$13,782	$1,015	$12,767
Barrow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Pinecrest Dr	Athens	30605	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-2676	458	43	10.7	78.6%	185 (40.4%)	181 (39.5%)	38 (8.3%)	33 (7.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.9%)	61.8	437^th of 1248 public elementary schools	65.0%		62	424^th of 1242 public elementary schools	65.9%	13	40.3	48.6	50.7	45.2	52.9	40.3	44.8	$12,813	$961	$11,853
Howard B. Stroud Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	715 Fourth St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 369-1893	378	43	8.8	100.0%	25 (6.6%)	268 (70.9%)	68 (18.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	8.1	1220^th of 1248 public elementary schools	2.2%		18.3	1043^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	16.0%	177	7.3	6.4	21.2	12.7	8.5	17.3	9.8	$17,234	$1,696	$15,538
Winterville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	305 Cherokee Rd	Winterville	30683	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5222	356	36	10.0	84.3%	70 (19.7%)	145 (40.7%)	117 (32.9%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.3%)	32.1	807^th of 1248 public elementary schools	35.3%		32.2	805^th of 1242 public elementary schools	35.2%	2	31.1	23.5	34.6	28.9	39.2	26.9	32.7	$15,060	$1,208	$13,852
Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	757 N Chase St	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 543-1081	486	49	10.0	64.8%	224 (46.1%)	172 (35.4%)	51 (10.5%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.8%)	76.5	273^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	78.1%		79.3	233^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	81.2%	40	54.8	55.2	63.5	54.8	50.7	51.4	52.7	$12,976	$917	$12,059
Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Alps Rd	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 548-2261	324	38	8.6	100.0%	17 (5.2%)	254 (78.4%)	29 (9.0%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.9%)	6.6	1233^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	1.2%		6.4	1227^th of 1242 public elementary schools	1.2%	6	10.8	5.1	10.4	13.2	10.3	12.5	8.3	$14,420	$1,368	$13,053
Fowler Drive Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Fowler Dr	Athens	30601	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 357-5330	392	44	8.8	98.2%	30 (7.7%)	167 (42.6%)	181 (46.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	23.4	955^th of 1248 public elementary schools	23.5%		23	963^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	22.5%	8	16.1	16.0	32.2	37.1	30.0	25.4	22.0	$13,747	$1,101	$12,646
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 Oglethorpe Ave	Athens	30606	Clarke County	Clarke County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 549-0762	569	52	10.9	84.5%	128 (22.5%)	202 (35.5%)	200 (35.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.8%)	30.3	849^th of 1248 public elementary schools	32.0%		25.1	914^th of 1242 public elementary schools	26.4%	65	17.9	24.1	34.2	29.9	41.4	34.2	26.0	$14,969	$1,405	$13,564

Frequently Asked Questions about Gaines Elementary School

Is Gaines Elementary School a good school?

Gaines Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.4% of Georgia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Gaines Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Gaines Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hilsman Middle School
High : Cedar Shoals High School

How many students attend Gaines Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 545 students attended Gaines Elementary School.

What district is Gaines Elementary School in?

Clarke County

What is the racial makeup of Gaines Elementary School?

Students at Gaines Elementary School are 71% African American, 17% Hispanic, 7% White, 5% Two or more races.

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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.