Deer Chase Elementary School

Summary:

Deer Chase Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hephzibah, Georgia, serving 553 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Richmond County School District, which is ranked 176 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Deer Chase Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Georgia elementary schools over the past decade, with a statewide ranking between 910 and 1247 out of around 1,200-1,250 schools. The school significantly underperforms compared to the Richmond County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 19.1% of 3rd graders, 12.6% of 4th graders, and 23.7% of 5th graders scored proficient or better in ELA, compared to 20.6%, 16.9%, and 26.9% for Richmond County, and 38.4%, 37%, and 48.2% for the state. Additionally, Deer Chase Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 97.82% to 98.01% over the past few years.

Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Deer Chase Elementary, the school's academic performance remains poor, raising questions about how resources are being allocated and utilized to support student learning. While the nearby schools in the Richmond County district also face challenges, some are performing slightly better than Deer Chase Elementary on the Milestones Assessments, suggesting that there may be opportunities to learn from the practices and strategies of the higher-performing schools in the area.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1780 Deer Chase Ln
Hephzibah, GA 30815

(706) 772-6240

District: Richmond County

SchoolDigger Rank:
1126^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,679

Students who attend Deer Chase Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hephzibah Middle School
High:	Hephzibah High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 616

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.3%

Hispanic:

4.1%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Deer Chase Elementary School ranks worse than 90.2% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 13^th among 27 ranked elementary schools in the Richmond County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.6. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (90.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Deer Chase Elementary School is 15.6, which is the highest among 27 elementary schools in the Richmond County School District! (See more...)

Compare Deer Chase Elementary School employs 39.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Deer Chase Elementary School is $9,679, which is the 9^th highest among 27 elementary schools in the Richmond County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Richmond County:

SchoolDigger ranks Richmond County 176^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Deer Chase Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2008	23.63	962^nd	1134	15.2%
2009	25.83	944^th	1133	16.7%
2010	27.58	965^th	1183	18.4%
2011	36.27	886^th	1212	26.9%
2012	44.20	800^th	1201	33.4%
2013	44.48	814^th	1225	33.6%
2014	37.12	910^th	1231	26.1%
2015	21.24	993^rd	1240	19.9%
2016	17.57	1030^th	1233	16.5%
2017	19.74	980^th	1205	18.7%
2018	19.15	994^th	1209	17.8%
2019	17.71	1028^th	1234	16.7%
2021	11.88	1099^th	1214	9.5%
2022	14.00	1087^th	1244	12.6%
2023	14.58	1096^th	1242	11.8%
2024	13.60	1126^th	1248	9.8%

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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Enrollment information for Deer Chase Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	17	565	7	17	0	n/a	n/a	10	616
2008	33	578	11	24	0	n/a	n/a	13	659
2009	29	586	8	26	0	n/a	n/a	13	662
2010	20	561	10	8	0	12	16	0	627
2011	14	566	11	6	0	10	5	0	612
2012	14	540	10	5	1	12	1	0	583
2013	16	540	3	9	0	12	1	0	581
2014	15	544	4	8	1	15	4	0	591
2015	15	605	2	15	1	20	9	0	667
2016	13	562	2	12	1	11	4	0	605
2017	14	498	3	12	1	8	4	0	540
2018	13	510	3	9	0	6	9	0	550
2019	12	480	5	8	0	2	7	0	514
2020	24	521	2	15	0	1	8	0	571
2021	12	463	2	12	1	2	12	0	504
2022	13	485	1	15	0	2	16	0	532
2023	10	493	1	27	0	2	20	0	553
2024	8	556	2	25	1	2	22	0	616

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 Deer Chase Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	616	41.5	14.8	61.4
2008	659	42.0	15.7	65.8
2009	662	41.0	16.1	62.9
2010	627	41.0	15.2	62.7
2011	612	36.0	17.0	68.5
2012	583	36.0	16.1	70.5
2013	581	35.0	16.6	78.3
2014	591	34.0	17.3	96.8
2015	667	36.0	18.5	96.9
2016	605	37.0	16.3	96.9
2017	540	35.0	15.4	96.9
2018	550	35.0	15.7	96.4
2019	514	31.0	16.5	96.3
2020	571	33.0	17.3	97.9
2021	504	36.5	13.8	97.8
2022	532	37.3	14.2	n/a
2023	553	34.0	16.2	98
2024	616	39.4	15.6	84.9

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 Deer Chase Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	616	41.5	14.8	61.4
2008	659	42.0	15.7	65.8
2009	662	41.0	16.1	62.9
2010	627	41.0	15.2	62.7
2011	612	36.0	17.0	68.5
2012	583	36.0	16.1	70.5
2013	581	35.0	16.6	78.3
2014	591	34.0	17.3	96.8
2015	667	36.0	18.5	96.9
2016	605	37.0	16.3	96.9
2017	540	35.0	15.4	96.9
2018	550	35.0	15.7	96.4
2019	514	31.0	16.5	96.3
2020	571	33.0	17.3	97.9
2021	504	36.5	13.8	97.8
2022	532	37.3	14.2	n/a
2023	553	34.0	16.2	98
2024	616	39.4	15.6	84.9

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 Deer Chase Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$791 (8.0%)	$9,038 (92.0%)	$9,829
2018	$696 (7.4%)	$8,753 (92.6%)	$9,448
2019	$868 (9.0%)	$8,811 (91.0%)	$9,679

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Deer Chase 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 1028^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1096^th of 1242 Elementary schools	4.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Deer Chase Elementary School)	19.5	15.7	3.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Richmond County)	21.3	19.6	1.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Deer Chase Elementary School)	25.3	20.4	4.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Richmond County)	26.4	21.8	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Deer Chase Elementary School)	19	11.2	7.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Richmond County)	21.9	14.8	7.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Deer Chase Elementary School)	20.3	15.7	4.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Richmond County)	28	18.6	9.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Deer Chase Elementary School)	24.7	23.3	1.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Richmond County)	27.1	21.6	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Deer Chase Elementary School)	31.2	11	20.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Richmond County)	24.9	11.6	13.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Deer Chase Elementary School)	25.8	21.9	3.9%
5th Grade Science (Richmond County)	21.1	17.8	3.3%
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	514	553	7.6%
African American	480	493	2.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	1	80%
Hispanic	8	27	237.5%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	12	10	16.7%
Two or More Races	7	20	185.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	96.3%	98%	1.7%

Schools Near Deer Chase Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)						Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)						Milestones Assessment Science (2024)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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 Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	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
Deer Chase Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1780 Deer Chase Ln	Hephzibah	30815	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 772-6240	616	39	15.6	84.9%	8 (1.3%)	556 (90.3%)	25 (4.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	22 (3.6%)	13.6	1126^th of 1248 public elementary schools	9.8%		14.6	1096^th of 1242 public elementary schools	11.8%	30		19.1	12.6	23.7				22.5	8.7	12.9				24.7			$9,679	$868	$8,811
Diamond Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4153 Windsor Spring Rd	Hephzibah	30815	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 771-2881	544	38	14.4	82.5%	37 (6.8%)	447 (82.2%)	31 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.0%)	8.6	1213^th of 1248 public elementary schools	2.8%		10.8	1164^th of 1242 public elementary schools	6.3%	49		13.7	7.5	21.4				16.4	13.8	11.4				7.2			$9,624	$826	$8,798
Jamestown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3637 Hiers Blvd	Hephzibah	30815	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 796-4760	387	32	11.9	100.0%	11 (2.8%)	336 (86.8%)	20 (5.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.7%)	9.8	1194^th of 1248 public elementary schools	4.3%		9.9	1188^th of 1242 public elementary schools	4.3%	6		11.1	12.1	13.0				28.9	19.7	1.9				7.4			$11,016	$856	$10,159
Tobacco Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2397 Tobacco Rd	Augusta	30906	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 796-4658	431	36	12.0	87.5%	23 (5.3%)	372 (86.3%)	15 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.4%)	14.7	1103^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	11.6%		17.9	1049^th of 1242 public elementary schools	15.5%	54		10.2	8.9	25.0				12.2	19.6	5.9				35.3			$9,595	$1,024	$8,571
Meadowbrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3630 Goldfinch Dr	Augusta	30906	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 796-4915	467	35	13.4	100.0%	9 (1.9%)	434 (92.9%)	11 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.8%)	8.1	1221^st of 1248 public elementary schools	2.2%		7.1	1221^st of 1242 public elementary schools	1.7%			7.2	11.8	20.5				14.5	16.2	7.2				9.6			$9,563	$1,200	$8,364
Freedom Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	345 42nd St Bldg 43400	Fort Gordon	30905	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 796-8428	559	54	10.4	52.8%	186 (33.3%)	171 (30.6%)	114 (20.4%)	14 (2.5%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.3%)	65 (11.6%)	74.9	284^th of 1248 public elementary schools	77.2%		62.3	423^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	65.9%	139	55.6	47.1	37.3	66.7	73.3	41.1	44.7	43.1	49.3	66.7	46.7	30.4	37.8	63.5	37.8	40.5	$9,080	$514	$8,566
Hephzibah Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2542 Ga Highway 88	Hephzibah	30815	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 592-4561	562	50	11.1	91.8%	131 (23.3%)	362 (64.4%)	25 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.7%)	37 (6.6%)	8.7	1212^th of 1248 public elementary schools	2.9%		18.9	1022^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	17.7%	190		15.8	17.0	13.5				10.5	16.0	1.4				8.1			$10,086	$915	$9,171
Glenn Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2838 Glenn Hills Dr	Augusta	30906	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 796-4942	432	35	12.4	100.0%	17 (3.9%)	348 (80.6%)	57 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.1%)	6.2	1237^th of 1248 public elementary schools	0.9%		10.2	1178^th of 1242 public elementary schools	5.2%	59		8.0	8.5	13.0				8.0	8.5	9.3				11.1			$9,451	$1,887	$7,565
Gracewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2032 Tobacco Rd	Augusta	30906	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 796-4969	441	35	12.6	100.0%	98 (22.2%)	302 (68.5%)	19 (4.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.5%)	11.3	1167^th of 1248 public elementary schools	6.5%		12.6	1132^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	8.9%	35		17.9	17.1	20.8				17.9	12.9	11.1				13.9			$8,041	$804	$7,237
Richmond Hill K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	3420 Julia Ave	Augusta	30906	Richmond County	Richmond County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 826-1000	1,159	85	13.5	100.0%	59 (5.1%)	1,010 (87.1%)	45 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (3.7%)	6	1240^th of 1248 public elementary schools	0.6%		5.1	1240^th of 1242 public elementary schools	0.2%		16.7	11.5	5.5	11.8	6.2	6.8	12.4	16.1	2.7	7.5	3.1	0.5	6.3	8.7	1.5	2.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Deer Chase Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Deer Chase Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Deer Chase Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hephzibah Middle School
High : Hephzibah High School

Is Deer Chase Elementary School a good school?

Deer Chase Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.8% of Georgia elementary schools.

How many students attend Deer Chase Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 616 students attended Deer Chase Elementary School.

What district is Deer Chase Elementary School in?

Richmond County

What is the racial makeup of Deer Chase Elementary School?

Students at Deer Chase Elementary School are 90% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% White.

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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.