Garden City Elementary School

Q: Is Garden City Elementary School a good school?

Garden City Elementary School ranks 919 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Garden City Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 561 students in grades PK-5 in Garden City, Georgia, which is part of the Savannah-Chatham County School District.

Despite increased per-student spending over the years, Garden City Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Georgia elementary schools and performs significantly below the district and state averages on standardized tests. For example, in 2023-2024, only 22.8% of 3rd graders, 15% of 4th graders, and 29.5% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 30.7%, 29.4%, and 37.4% for the district, and 38.4%, 37%, and 48.2% for the state. The school's math and science performance is also low compared to nearby schools and the state.

One contributing factor to the school's academic challenges is its extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.29% to 87.88% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools. This suggests that the school's student population faces significant socioeconomic challenges that may impact their learning and achievement. While the school has seen increased spending, it remains unclear whether this has translated into improved outcomes for students, indicating that a more comprehensive approach may be needed to address the root causes of the school's struggles and support student success.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4037 Kessler Ave
Garden City, GA 31408

(912) 395-6820

District: Savannah-Chatham County

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

Students who attend Garden City Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Groves High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 561

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

52.8%

African American:

33.3%

White:

7.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Garden City Elementary School ranks worse than 73.6% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.79. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Savannah-Chatham County:

SchoolDigger ranks Savannah-Chatham County 128^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Garden City Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	10.39	1038^th	1101	5.7%
2007	7.46	1078^th	1125	4.2%
2008	4.42	1110^th	1134	2.1%
2009	8.73	1085^th	1133	4.2%
2010	19.81	1035^th	1183	12.5%
2011	16.31	1087^th	1212	10.3%
2012	14.60	1078^th	1201	10.2%
2013	17.33	1065^th	1225	13.1%
2014	19.80	1061^st	1231	13.8%
2015	18.03	1040^th	1240	16.1%
2016	14.40	1081^st	1233	12.3%
2017	19.33	985^th	1205	18.3%
2018	39.42	715^th	1209	40.9%
2019	44.38	661^st	1234	46.4%
2021	22.57	915^th	1214	24.6%
2022	37.47	737^th	1244	40.8%
2023	33.04	794^th	1242	36.1%
2024	25.79	919^th	1248	26.4%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, September 5, 2015

The teacher to student ratio is more like 25 to 1. The principal is racist to whites and hispanics. some of the teachers try to push parent of "troubled children" to have there kids "evaluated" and put on meds because they have no backbone and dont know how to set limits or handle children. Worst school in the area! There is a rampant bullying problem towards minority kids. white being the minority in the school. teachers and staff seem to not want to do anything about it at all. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Garden City Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	226	492	1	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	727
1998	260	539	5	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	825
1999	247	541	6	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	817
2000	181	505	1	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	701
2001	155	486	1	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	658
2002	139	423	2	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	586
2003	139	423	2	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	586
2004	137	396	4	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	571
2005	110	428	3	32	1	n/a	n/a	5	579
2006	96	409	6	42	2	n/a	n/a	8	563
2007	73	421	5	49	2	n/a	n/a	9	559
2008	83	444	7	49	2	n/a	n/a	19	604
2009	89	423	10	38	1	n/a	n/a	16	577
2010	107	431	8	46	0	0	9	0	601
2011	106	388	9	128	1	3	31	0	666
2012	105	385	12	176	1	2	29	0	710
2013	150	373	7	182	0	1	43	0	756
2014	162	368	6	185	23	1	23	0	768
2015	143	369	6	211	4	1	18	0	752
2016	141	373	6	262	5	1	13	0	801
2017	137	354	4	278	7	0	13	0	793
2018	80	118	3	235	3	0	9	0	448
2019	52	107	4	255	5	0	8	0	431
2020	34	105	4	235	6	0	9	0	393
2021	27	88	3	227	4	1	14	0	364
2022	22	94	6	236	3	1	12	0	374
2023	41	187	6	296	3	2	26	0	561

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 Garden City Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	727	45.2	16.1	74.7
1998	825	52.0	15.9	63.4
1999	817	50.9	16.1	72.3
2000	701	41.8	16.8	67
2001	658	36.0	18.3	70.7
2002	586	29.0	20.2	73.4
2003	586	29.0	20.2	73.4
2004	571	40.5	14.1	75.8
2005	579	42.5	13.6	78
2006	563	43.0	13.1	82
2007	559	42.5	13.2	84.5
2008	604	44.5	13.6	85.1
2009	577	47.1	12.3	89.7
2010	601	46.0	13.0	91
2011	666	50.5	13.1	88.4
2012	710	48.5	14.6	93.8
2013	756	49.5	15.2	89.4
2014	768	51.0	15.0	91.1
2015	752	52.0	14.4	89.4
2016	801	51.0	15.7	87.6
2017	793	53.0	14.9	86
2018	448	40.0	11.2	72.5
2019	431	36.2	11.9	86.1
2020	393	35.5	11.0	88.8
2021	364	34.5	10.5	64.3
2022	374	35.5	10.5	n/a
2023	561	37.0	15.1	87.9

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 Garden City Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	727	45.2	16.1	74.7
1998	825	52.0	15.9	63.4
1999	817	50.9	16.1	72.3
2000	701	41.8	16.8	67
2001	658	36.0	18.3	70.7
2002	586	29.0	20.2	73.4
2003	586	29.0	20.2	73.4
2004	571	40.5	14.1	75.8
2005	579	42.5	13.6	78
2006	563	43.0	13.1	82
2007	559	42.5	13.2	84.5
2008	604	44.5	13.6	85.1
2009	577	47.1	12.3	89.7
2010	601	46.0	13.0	91
2011	666	50.5	13.1	88.4
2012	710	48.5	14.6	93.8
2013	756	49.5	15.2	89.4
2014	768	51.0	15.0	91.1
2015	752	52.0	14.4	89.4
2016	801	51.0	15.7	87.6
2017	793	53.0	14.9	86
2018	448	40.0	11.2	72.5
2019	431	36.2	11.9	86.1
2020	393	35.5	11.0	88.8
2021	364	34.5	10.5	64.3
2022	374	35.5	10.5	n/a
2023	561	37.0	15.1	87.9

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 Garden City Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$805 (8.8%)	$8,298 (91.2%)	$9,103
2018	$963 (7.9%)	$11,278 (92.1%)	$12,240
2019	$899 (7.2%)	$11,591 (92.8%)	$12,490

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Garden City 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 661^st of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 794^th of 1242 Elementary schools	10.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Garden City Elementary School)	32.5	23.1	9.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Savannah-Chatham County)	28.1	29.5	1.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Garden City Elementary School)	67.5	29.7	37.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Savannah-Chatham County)	39.6	36.9	2.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Garden City Elementary School)	41.7	13.8	27.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Savannah-Chatham County)	28.5	23.6	4.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Garden City Elementary School)	56.9	18.4	38.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Savannah-Chatham County)	35.2	31.8	3.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Garden City Elementary School)	26.3	31.2	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Savannah-Chatham County)	29.8	29.2	0.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Garden City Elementary School)	33.8	39.8	6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Savannah-Chatham County)	27.6	25	2.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Garden City Elementary School)	37.5	40.9	3.4%
5th Grade Science (Savannah-Chatham County)	27.7	28.6	0.9%
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	431	561	30.2%
African American	107	187	74.8%
American Indian	5	3	40%
Asian	4	6	50%
Hispanic	255	296	16.1%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	52	41	21.2%
Two or More Races	8	26	225%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	86.1%	87.9%	1.8%

Schools Near Garden City 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
Garden City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4037 Kessler Ave	Garden City	31408	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-6820	561	37	15.1	87.9%	41 (7.3%)	187 (33.3%)	296 (52.8%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (4.6%)	25.8	919^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.4%		33	794^th of 1242 public elementary schools	36.1%	125		22.8	15.0	29.5				28.3	28.0	32.6				33.7			$12,491	$899	$11,591
Otis J Brock III Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1804 Stratford St	Savannah	31415	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-5300	542	37	14.6	92.8%	24 (4.4%)	441 (81.4%)	46 (8.5%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.4%)	18.4	1029^th of 1248 public elementary schools	17.5%		15.3	1087^th of 1242 public elementary schools	12.5%	58		21.0	14.0	29.5				27.4	31.8	15.9				17.4			$11,649	$1,396	$10,253
Butler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1909 Cynthia St	Savannah	31415	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-2525	488	37	13.1	91.4%	3 (0.6%)	433 (88.7%)	32 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.9%)	26.1	913^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.8%		20.7	993^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	20.0%	80		22.7	32.4	27.7				24.2	44.1	18.5				15.6			$11,830	$1,703	$10,128
Gould Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4910 Pineland Dr	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-5400	818	59	13.8	83.3%	100 (12.2%)	277 (33.9%)	382 (46.7%)	12 (1.5%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	41 (5.0%)	11.9	1158^th of 1248 public elementary schools	7.2%		17	1066^th of 1242 public elementary schools	14.2%	92		19.0	10.7	20.1				22.3	12.3	16.2				14.9			$10,525	$807	$9,718
Gadsden Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	919 May St	Savannah	31415	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-5940	474	36	13.1	97.7%	3 (0.6%)	452 (95.4%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	14.6	1104^th of 1248 public elementary schools	11.5%		18.3	1040^th of 1242 public elementary schools	16.3%	64		13.8	8.6	8.8				32.3	39.5	1.5				4.5			$11,392	$1,443	$9,949
Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts	Public	PK, KG-8	649 W Jones St	Savannah	31401	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	No	(912) 395-5975	766	65	11.7	42.8%	236 (30.8%)	366 (47.8%)	67 (8.7%)	27 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	67 (8.7%)	82.3	206^th of 1248 public elementary schools	83.5%		79.1	237^th of 1242 public elementary schools	80.9%	31	80.8	45.0	52.4	61.9	80.4	73.3	83.8	46.7	71.4	50.0	58.9	53.5	61.9	56.0	48.1	64.8	$10,592	$244	$10,347
Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	301 Buckhalter Rd	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-4070	233	14	16.5	60.5%	83 (35.6%)	92 (39.5%)	33 (14.2%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	21 (9.0%)	21.7	985^th of 1248 public elementary schools	21.1%		17.3	1060^th of 1242 public elementary schools	14.7%	75		34.5	17.9	27.8				24.1	14.3	22.2				22.2			$10,191	$518	$9,673
Hodge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	975 Clinch Street	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-5200	403	32	12.5	96.5%	8 (2.0%)	367 (91.1%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	13 (3.2%)	36.7	745^th of 1248 public elementary schools	40.3%		34.4	775^th of 1242 public elementary schools	37.6%	30		20.0	30.9	36.7				26.7	50.9	21.7				41.7			$11,070	$1,721	$9,349
Susie King Taylor Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	1709 Bull St	Savannah	31401	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	Yes	No	No	No	(912) 395-4200	305	22	13.8	99.0%	37 (12.1%)	235 (77.0%)	11 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.2%)	17.6	1048^th of 1248 public elementary schools	16.0%		16.9	1069^th of 1242 public elementary schools	13.9%	21		15.6	17.9	29.3	15.2	53.3	18.8	18.8	10.3	34.1	9.1	26.7	6.3	22.0	18.8	6.3	$12,461	$3,540	$8,921
Haven Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5111 Dillon Ave	Savannah	31405	Chatham County	Savannah-Chatham County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 395-6501	415	32	12.9	97.6%	7 (1.7%)	391 (94.2%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	9.6	1198^th of 1248 public elementary schools	4.0%		11.3	1156^th of 1242 public elementary schools	6.9%	42		15.7	13.0	18.9				9.8	24.1	7.5				7.5			$11,935	$1,166	$10,769

Frequently Asked Questions about Garden City Elementary School

Is Garden City Elementary School a good school?

Garden City Elementary School ranks 919^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Garden City Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 561 students attended Garden City Elementary School.

What district is Garden City Elementary School in?

Savannah-Chatham County

What is the racial makeup of Garden City Elementary School?

Students at Garden City Elementary School are 53% Hispanic, 33% African American, 7% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Garden City Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Garden City Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Groves High 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.