Summary:
The city of Waynesboro, Georgia is home to 4 public schools serving students from elementary through high school, all of which are part of the Burke County school district. While the schools share some common challenges, a closer look reveals distinct strengths and weaknesses among them.
The largest school in the area is Burke County High School, which has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Georgia high schools over the past 3 years. Despite a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 85.4%, the school's test scores are significantly below the state averages across all subject areas. In contrast, Blakeney Elementary has the lowest statewide ranking among the schools, with test scores also well below the state averages.
A common thread among all four schools is their 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating a high-need student population. This, coupled with the schools' consistently low performance on statewide assessments, suggests systemic challenges that the Burke County district will need to address. While the varying spending per student and student-teacher ratios across the schools may point to an imbalance in resource allocation, further analysis would be needed to understand how these resources are being utilized and distributed to best support the needs of the Waynesboro community.
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