S.L. Mason Elementary School

Summary:

S.L. Mason Elementary School is a public elementary school in Valdosta, Georgia, serving 887 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Valdosta City School District.

S.L. Mason Elementary consistently performs below the Valdosta City and Georgia state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics on state assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 14.6% of 3rd graders, 19.2% of 4th graders, and 23.4% of 5th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the Valdosta City averages of 17%, 17.4%, and 29.9%, respectively. The school has maintained a 1- or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state. This may be due in part to the high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 92.33% to 94.64% over the past three years.

Interestingly, the nearby elementary schools in the Lowndes County School District, such as Hahira Elementary, Clyattville Elementary, and Pine Grove Elementary, consistently outperform S.L. Mason Elementary and other Valdosta City schools on academic measures. This suggests a broader challenge within the Valdosta City district that may require targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

821 W Gordon St
Valdosta, GA 31601

(229) 333-8525

District: Valdosta City

SchoolDigger Rank:
1024^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,443

Students who attend S.L. Mason Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Valdosta Middle School
High:	Valdosta High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 917

Racial breakdown:

African American:

68.2%

White:

13.1%

Hispanic:

12.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details S.L. Mason Elementary School ranks worse than 82.1% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 2^nd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Valdosta City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.63. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at S.L. Mason Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (68.2%), White (13.1%), Hispanic (12.3%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at S.L. Mason Elementary School is 14.6, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Valdosta City School District! (See more...)

Compare S.L. Mason Elementary School employs 62.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at S.L. Mason Elementary School is $9,443. 3 elementary schools in the Valdosta City School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

S.L. Mason Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Valdosta City:

SchoolDigger ranks Valdosta City 179^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for S.L. Mason Elementary School.

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Rank History for S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2010	37.14	859^th	1183	27.4%
2011	35.98	889^th	1212	26.7%
2012	44.56	796^th	1201	33.7%
2013	43.89	827^th	1225	32.5%
2014	51.57	719^th	1231	41.6%
2015	33.92	815^th	1240	34.3%
2016	27.86	883^rd	1233	28.4%
2017	17.02	1019^th	1205	15.4%
2018	16.91	1022^nd	1209	15.5%
2019	20.93	984^th	1234	20.3%
2021	27.91	840^th	1214	30.8%
2022	28.84	864^th	1244	30.5%
2023	22.99	962^nd	1242	22.5%
2024	18.63	1024^th	1248	17.9%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, September 10, 2023

I would give them 0 stars if possible. If your child(ren) have special needs do everything possible to avoid this school! 504 Acommodations are not implemented and the teachers will lie to your face about it. The principal backs his staff 100 no matter what and he will lie straight to your face too, ALTHOUGH as a principal his job is supposed to be to support WHATEVER is in the BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. They love to promise all sorts of things then do the complete opposite, or promise one thing in a meeting then try to cover up their mistakes by claiming that's not what they said. GET EVERYTHING RECORDED OR IN WRITING!!
They have bullied, harrassed and singled out my family since day one. NOTHING is more important to them than attendance, EVEN with documented medical concerns. They have me in a constant state of severe anxiety. NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TAKING CARE OF MEDICAL NEEDS BEFORE SCHOOL AND BEING LATE OR IGNORING MEDICAL CARE JUST TO GET THEIR KID TO SCHOOL ON TIME FOR FEAR OF HAVING DFCS CONTACTED AND/OR TRUENCY COURT.
I pray every day for a miracle to get us out of that absolutely pathetic excuse of a school. If your child has any special needs avoid this school at all costs!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, March 19, 2016

This school doesn't even deserve 1 star. Some of the staff are unprofessional and slack in many areas. My son is in the 2nd grade and has autism. He Has been to 4 other schools before this one and I have never had to deal with problems at another school like I have at S.L. Mason. The communication between me and the school is poor and nonexistent. I do not get called when my son has an emergency situation. Instead of coming to me about their "concerns" they report to DFCS. I've spoken with the principals about this and there still is no improvement. If you have a special needs child, don't enroll him/her in this school unless you want to deal with DFCS, miscommunication, and a cold-shoulder all year long. Close Quote

Enrollment information for S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	208	730	12	10	2	n/a	n/a	21	983
2010	195	641	11	29	3	0	17	0	896
2011	198	641	12	24	4	0	11	0	890
2012	205	588	7	24	3	1	11	0	839
2013	205	590	12	15	5	2	12	0	841
2014	196	595	14	38	3	2	12	0	860
2015	194	684	10	64	1	1	24	0	978
2016	164	635	7	74	2	0	21	0	903
2017	138	687	10	73	2	0	36	0	946
2018	145	635	9	89	2	1	38	0	919
2019	118	644	13	96	1	2	26	0	900
2020	120	604	5	99	0	2	40	0	870
2021	123	578	7	95	0	2	34	0	839
2022	122	595	8	97	0	2	35	0	859
2023	117	606	7	112	0	1	44	0	887
2024	120	625	8	113	0	2	49	0	917

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 S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	983	78.3	12.6	79
2010	896	74.7	11.9	81.3
2011	890	65.7	13.5	78.4
2012	839	59.9	14.0	80.7
2013	841	58.2	14.4	82.2
2014	860	56.2	15.3	97.2
2015	978	61.0	16.0	100
2016	903	57.0	15.8	99.7
2017	946	61.5	15.3	100
2018	919	61.4	14.9	100
2019	900	60.9	14.7	100
2020	870	60.9	14.2	94.6
2021	839	62.1	13.5	94.6
2022	859	64.1	13.4	n/a
2023	887	64.4	13.7	92.3
2024	917	62.8	14.6	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 S.L. Mason Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	983	78.3	12.6	79
2010	896	74.7	11.9	81.3
2011	890	65.7	13.5	78.4
2012	839	59.9	14.0	80.7
2013	841	58.2	14.4	82.2
2014	860	56.2	15.3	97.2
2015	978	61.0	16.0	100
2016	903	57.0	15.8	99.7
2017	946	61.5	15.3	100
2018	919	61.4	14.9	100
2019	900	60.9	14.7	100
2020	870	60.9	14.2	94.6
2021	839	62.1	13.5	94.6
2022	859	64.1	13.4	n/a
2023	887	64.4	13.7	92.3
2024	917	62.8	14.6	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 S.L. Mason Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$824 (10.2%)	$7,281 (89.8%)	$8,106
2018	$839 (9.5%)	$7,961 (90.5%)	$8,800
2019	$1,082 (11.5%)	$8,361 (88.5%)	$9,443

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on S.L. Mason 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 984^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 962^nd of 1242 Elementary schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	26.5	20.9	5.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Valdosta City)	20.7	17.4	3.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	32.4	32	0.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Valdosta City)	27.5	30.1	2.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	23.7	12.6	11.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Valdosta City)	25.7	13.3	12.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	29	25.2	3.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Valdosta City)	27.8	25.1	2.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	27.2	25.4	1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Valdosta City)	26.4	22	4.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	22.2	21.2	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Valdosta City)	20.2	13.7	6.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (S.L. Mason Elementary School)	21.3	24.6	3.3%
5th Grade Science (Valdosta City)	21.5	18.4	3.1%
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	900	887	1.4%
African American	644	606	5.9%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	13	7	46.2%
Hispanic	96	112	16.7%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	118	117	0.8%
Two or More Races	26	44	69.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	92.3%	7.7%

Schools Near S.L. Mason 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
S.L. Mason Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	821 W Gordon St	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8525	917	63	14.6	100.0%	120 (13.1%)	625 (68.2%)	113 (12.3%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	49 (5.3%)	18.6	1024^th of 1248 public elementary schools	17.9%		23	962^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	22.5%	62	14.6	19.2	23.4	20.1	34.2	21.9	22.7	$9,443	$1,082	$8,361
Pinevale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	930 Lake Park Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8535	572	43	13.2	100.0%	16 (2.8%)	502 (87.8%)	44 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	13.2	1135^th of 1248 public elementary schools	9.1%		12.3	1137^th of 1242 public elementary schools	8.5%	2	8.6	13.0	31.7	14.3	15.9	22.2	17.5	$10,307	$1,384	$8,923
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2470 James Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	No	(229) 245-2289	926	61	15.1	51.3%	562 (60.7%)	182 (19.7%)	98 (10.6%)	37 (4.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (4.9%)	85.1	177^th of 1248 public elementary schools	85.8%		88.3	146^th of 1242 public elementary schools	88.2%	31	42.6	50.4	74.2	58.1	74.5	72.2	74.2	$7,917	$178	$7,739
W.G. Nunn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1610 Lakeland Ave	Valdosta	31602	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8515	940	70	13.3	100.0%	43 (4.6%)	811 (86.3%)	47 (5.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (3.7%)	17.4	1052^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	15.7%		12.7	1128^th of 1242 public elementary schools	9.2%	76	17.0	9.8	36.8	20.9	27.8	20.2	18.4	$9,522	$1,163	$8,359
J. L. Lomax Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1450 Howell Rd	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8520	537	44	12.0	100.0%	4 (0.7%)	454 (84.5%)	68 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.9%)	18.4	1027^th of 1248 public elementary schools	17.7%		18.2	1045^th of 1242 public elementary schools	15.9%	18	16.0	13.9	27.3	28.9	21.5	28.8	19.7	$10,474	$1,286	$9,188
Dewar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3539 Mount Zion Church Rd	Valdosta	31605	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	No	(229) 219-1370	863	60	14.3	61.5%	323 (37.4%)	328 (38.0%)	110 (12.7%)	14 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (10.2%)	77.1	263^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	78.9%		79.4	232^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	81.3%	31	48.2	47.1	61.2	52.5	57.4	57.0	65.3	$8,200	$188	$8,012
Moulton-Branch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5725 Inner Perimeter Rd	Valdosta	31606	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 245-2294	550	49	11.3	59.5%	295 (53.6%)	112 (20.4%)	108 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.0%)	63.7	418^th of 1248 public elementary schools	66.5%		70	333^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	73.2%	85	33.8	38.5	50.7	36.8	72.7	54.8	53.4	$11,103	$997	$10,105
Sallas Mahone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3686 Lake Laurie Dr	Valdosta	31605	Lowndes County	Valdosta City	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 333-8530	1,097	76	14.5	83.0%	162 (14.8%)	741 (67.5%)	99 (9.0%)	38 (3.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	54 (4.9%)	28.2	883^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	29.2%		24.7	924^th of 1242 public elementary schools	25.6%	41	22.5	26.2	30.4	38.0	37.6	23.2	23.2	$8,617	$706	$7,911
Pine Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4175 River Rd	Valdosta	31605	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 245-2297	645	52	12.3	67.4%	330 (51.2%)	180 (27.9%)	74 (11.5%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (8.5%)	76.8	268^th of 1248 public elementary schools	78.5%		89	141^st of 1242 public elementary schools	88.6%	127	45.6	51.0	46.8	56.7	76.0	60.8	53.2	$8,489	$504	$7,985
Clyattville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5386 Madison Hwy	Valdosta	31601	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(229) 316-8602	597	53	11.2	81.1%	301 (50.4%)	132 (22.1%)	130 (21.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.2%)	80.7	223^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	82.1%		73.4	297^th of 1242 public elementary schools	76.1%	74	50.0	44.4	60.2	70.1	64.2	55.3	62.1	$10,589	$1,435	$9,154

Frequently Asked Questions about S.L. Mason Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of S.L. Mason Elementary School?

Students at S.L. Mason Elementary School are 68% African American, 13% White, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is S.L. Mason Elementary School in?

Valdosta City

How many students attend S.L. Mason Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 917 students attended S.L. Mason Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of S.L. Mason Elementary School attend?

Students who attend S.L. Mason Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Valdosta Middle School
High : Valdosta High School

Is S.L. Mason Elementary School a good school?

S.L. Mason Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

Rate S.L. Mason Elementary School!

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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.