Birney Elementary School

Q: Is Birney Elementary School a good school?

Birney Elementary School ranks 818 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Birney Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Marietta, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 688 students. The school is part of the Cobb County School District, which is ranked 52 out of 203 districts in Georgia and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a relatively high-performing district, Birney Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the Cobb County and Georgia state averages in the Milestones Assessment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.9% of 3rd graders, 26.7% of 4th graders, and 43.4% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the Cobb County averages of 48.2%, 46%, and 57.9%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a low statewide ranking, consistently ranking in the bottom half of Georgia elementary schools, and was rated 2 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger for the 2023-2024 school year.

One potential contributing factor to Birney Elementary School's academic challenges is its high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 82.56% of students qualifying in the 2022-2023 school year. This is significantly higher than the state and district averages. When comparing Birney Elementary School to the nearby Sanders Elementary School, which is 2.53 miles away, Sanders Elementary consistently outperformed Birney Elementary in all Milestones Assessment subjects and grade levels. The relatively high per-student spending at Birney Elementary School, combined with the low academic performance, also raises questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need for targeted interventions to address the specific challenges faced by the school.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

775 Smyrna Powder Springs Rd
Marietta, GA 30060

(678) 842-6824

District: Cobb County

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,060

Students who attend Birney Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Osborne High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.7

Number of students: 686

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.7%

African American:

38.2%

Two or more races:

4.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.6%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Birney Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Birney Elementary School ranks worse than 65.5% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 50^th among 64 ranked elementary schools in the Cobb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.57. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (50.7%), African American (38.2%), two or more races (4.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Birney Elementary School is 10.7, which is the 12^th best among 64 elementary schools in the Cobb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Birney Elementary School employs 64.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birney Elementary School is $12,060, which is the 15^th highest among 64 elementary schools in the Cobb County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Cobb County:

SchoolDigger ranks Cobb County 52^nd of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Birney Elementary School.

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Rank History for Birney Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	16.39	989^th	1101	10.2%
2007	24.20	939^th	1125	16.5%
2008	30.19	891^st	1134	21.4%
2009	34.71	844^th	1133	25.5%
2010	38.95	834^th	1183	29.5%
2011	32.49	936^th	1212	22.8%
2012	28.51	968^th	1201	19.4%
2013	26.83	994^th	1225	18.9%
2014	25.87	1012^th	1231	17.8%
2015	25.89	931^st	1240	24.9%
2016	22.54	962^nd	1233	22.0%
2017	19.16	987^th	1205	18.1%
2018	14.93	1051^st	1209	13.1%
2019	15.32	1060^th	1234	14.1%
2021	18.73	980^th	1214	19.3%
2022	27.29	890^th	1244	28.5%
2023	24.10	933^rd	1242	24.9%
2024	31.57	818^th	1248	34.5%

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: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, July 23, 2017

The teachers and staff are extremely caring and hard working. The students are getting a great education! The test scores are deceiving children get out of school what the parents put into it and them. We are pleased with the school overall. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Our girls started at Birney last year. Our youngest is in Pre-K Special Ed and her teacher is dynamite. She is loving yet firm with the kids. A nice healthy balance. She gets to know the students based on their strengths and teaches accordingly. She is available to meet to address any concerns. Our daughter also receives therapy (PT,OT and SPCH). I believe the therapist are equipped and personable. Our other daughter started Kindergarten last year and her teacher was dynamite as well. Very active with the students in curriculum and creativity. I spent a lot of time in her classroom volunteering and the students were well behaved and sharp.

Most of the staff I have met are friendly. I cannot say enough good things about the Principal. He seems to be very hands on and involved. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, August 6, 2010

great with children Close Quote

Enrollment information for Birney Elementary School

Compare

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	433	433
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	514	514
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	632	632
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	708	708
1994	540	202	16	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	773
1995	511	269	9	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	820
1996	511	269	9	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	820
1997	484	315	10	39	2	n/a	n/a	0	850
1998	394	335	12	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	788
1999	348	390	13	76	3	n/a	n/a	0	830
2000	299	389	19	77	1	n/a	n/a	0	785
2001	257	427	21	103	0	n/a	n/a	0	808
2002	169	450	21	152	1	n/a	n/a	0	793
2003	169	450	21	152	1	n/a	n/a	0	793
2004	155	408	21	205	4	n/a	n/a	0	793
2005	135	376	26	242	3	n/a	n/a	47	829
2006	128	403	25	302	1	n/a	n/a	39	898
2007	97	382	29	330	1	n/a	n/a	33	872
2008	90	388	35	307	1	n/a	n/a	36	857
2009	82	409	32	279	1	n/a	n/a	28	831
2010	77	349	27	274	1	0	0	0	728
2011	85	298	24	249	0	0	27	0	683
2012	68	321	20	282	0	0	24	0	715
2013	70	355	25	303	0	0	17	0	770
2014	75	324	17	300	0	2	20	0	738
2015	63	337	17	325	0	2	16	0	760
2016	49	317	17	341	1	3	21	0	749
2017	45	384	17	411	0	2	15	0	874
2018	51	380	24	397	0	2	19	0	873
2019	46	340	23	374	0	2	15	0	800
2020	42	324	23	374	1	2	15	0	781
2021	35	274	20	346	1	1	13	0	690
2022	34	262	21	333	2	0	18	0	670
2023	28	279	18	335	2	1	25	0	688
2024	26	262	18	348	3	0	29	0	686

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 Birney Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	433	26.0	16.6	24.9
1991	514	32.0	16.0	21.2
1992	632	35.0	18.0	20.1
1993	708	42.0	16.9	22.9
1994	773	54.3	14.2	27
1995	820	58.3	14.1	30.6
1996	820	58.3	14.1	30.6
1997	850	55.9	15.2	38.1
1998	788	51.3	15.4	43.9
1999	830	55.3	15.0	48.4
2000	785	55.0	14.3	49.6
2001	808	64.0	12.6	47.2
2002	793	55.0	14.4	61.3
2003	793	55.0	14.4	61.3
2004	793	54.0	14.7	64.4
2005	829	62.5	13.3	72.6
2006	898	63.5	14.1	78.2
2007	872	72.5	12.0	77.5
2008	857	71.5	12.0	76.2
2009	831	72.5	11.5	78.2
2010	728	71.0	10.2	77.6
2011	683	66.5	10.2	79.6
2012	715	63.0	11.3	82.5
2013	770	66.0	11.6	83.5
2014	738	60.5	12.1	87
2015	760	62.0	12.2	85.4
2016	749	63.0	11.8	86
2017	874	62.0	14.0	88.8
2018	873	67.0	13.0	87.1
2019	800	63.6	12.5	86.6
2020	781	63.2	12.3	85.5
2021	690	64.2	10.7	75.5
2022	670	66.0	10.1	n/a
2023	688	64.1	10.7	82.6
2024	686	64.1	10.7	88.6

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 Birney Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	433	26.0	16.6	24.9
1991	514	32.0	16.0	21.2
1992	632	35.0	18.0	20.1
1993	708	42.0	16.9	22.9
1994	773	54.3	14.2	27
1995	820	58.3	14.1	30.6
1996	820	58.3	14.1	30.6
1997	850	55.9	15.2	38.1
1998	788	51.3	15.4	43.9
1999	830	55.3	15.0	48.4
2000	785	55.0	14.3	49.6
2001	808	64.0	12.6	47.2
2002	793	55.0	14.4	61.3
2003	793	55.0	14.4	61.3
2004	793	54.0	14.7	64.4
2005	829	62.5	13.3	72.6
2006	898	63.5	14.1	78.2
2007	872	72.5	12.0	77.5
2008	857	71.5	12.0	76.2
2009	831	72.5	11.5	78.2
2010	728	71.0	10.2	77.6
2011	683	66.5	10.2	79.6
2012	715	63.0	11.3	82.5
2013	770	66.0	11.6	83.5
2014	738	60.5	12.1	87
2015	760	62.0	12.2	85.4
2016	749	63.0	11.8	86
2017	874	62.0	14.0	88.8
2018	873	67.0	13.0	87.1
2019	800	63.6	12.5	86.6
2020	781	63.2	12.3	85.5
2021	690	64.2	10.7	75.5
2022	670	66.0	10.1	n/a
2023	688	64.1	10.7	82.6
2024	686	64.1	10.7	88.6

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 Birney Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$824 (8.0%)	$9,428 (92.0%)	$10,252
2018	$606 (5.6%)	$10,122 (94.4%)	$10,728
2019	$699 (5.8%)	$11,361 (94.2%)	$12,060

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Birney 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 1060^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 933^rd of 1242 Elementary schools	10.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Birney Elementary School)	21.8	25.7	3.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)	48.5	47.2	1.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Birney Elementary School)	22.6	30.1	7.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	58.1	50.4	7.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Birney Elementary School)	24.5	23.1	1.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)	50.8	46.3	4.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Birney Elementary School)	31.5	25.3	6.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	57.4	52.8	4.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Birney Elementary School)	28.4	24.6	3.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)	54.9	51	3.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Birney Elementary School)	16.2	16.7	0.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	47.2	44.2	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Birney Elementary School)	11.6	22.2	10.6%
5th Grade Science (Cobb County)	47	44.1	2.9%
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	800	688	14%
African American	340	279	17.9%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	23	18	21.7%
Hispanic	374	335	10.4%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	46	28	39.1%
Two or More Races	15	25	66.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	86.6%	82.6%	4.1%

Schools Near Birney 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
Birney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	775 Smyrna Powder Springs Rd	Marietta	30060	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6824	686	64	10.7	88.6%	26 (3.8%)	262 (38.2%)	348 (50.7%)	18 (2.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.2%)	31.6	818^th of 1248 public elementary schools	34.5%		24.1	933^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	24.9%	115	22.9	26.7	43.4	28.3	38.3	30.3	24.2	$12,060	$699	$11,361
Milford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2390 Austell Rd SW	Marietta	30008	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6966	353	41	8.6	92.4%	14 (4.0%)	105 (29.7%)	223 (63.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	35.5	765^th of 1248 public elementary schools	38.7%		44.2	629^th of 1242 public elementary schools	49.4%	136	21.8	21.8	44.2	43.6	38.9	32.7	26.9	$14,587	$869	$13,718
Norton Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3041 Gray Rd SE	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-5833	654	61	10.7	92.0%	37 (5.7%)	205 (31.3%)	369 (56.4%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.4%)	25.9	916^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.6%		34.5	774^th of 1242 public elementary schools	37.7%	142	26.8	22.9	31.5	35.7	37.5	18.9	17.1	$11,232	$713	$10,519
Russell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3920 S Hurt Rd SW	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 437-5937	582	53	11.0	78.9%	54 (9.3%)	203 (34.9%)	286 (49.1%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	31.2	826^th of 1248 public elementary schools	33.8%		27.3	879^th of 1242 public elementary schools	29.2%	53	25.5	20.0	42.3	29.4	26.7	29.5	41.0	$11,781	$978	$10,804
LaBelle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	230 Cresson Dr SW	Marietta	30060	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6955	356	40	8.8	97.5%	13 (3.7%)	69 (19.4%)	259 (72.8%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	22.1	978^th of 1248 public elementary schools	21.6%		27.8	876^th of 1242 public elementary schools	29.5%	102	18.3	21.2	33.3	25.0	11.8	33.3	23.3	$15,708	$911	$14,798
Hollydale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Bay Berry Dr SW	Marietta	30008	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 594-8143	546	60	9.0	88.5%	49 (9.0%)	161 (29.5%)	294 (53.8%)	15 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.9%)	25.7	920^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.3%		19	1021^st of 1242 public elementary schools	17.8%	101	24.3	28.0	38.9	18.3	40.0	22.1	20.0	$12,721	$673	$12,048
International Academy of Smyrna	Public, Charter	K-5	2144 S Cobb Dr SE	Smyrna	30080	Cobb County	State Specialty Schools II- International Academy of Smyrna	Yes	No	No	Yes	(678) 370-0980	301	28	10.7	87.0%	0 (0.0%)	202 (67.1%)	81 (26.9%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.3%)	32	809^th of 1248 public elementary schools	35.2%		47.3	586^th of 1242 public elementary schools	52.8%	223	33.3	39.1	34.1	29.6	28.3	17.1	26.8	$7,613	$126	$7,487
Belmont Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	605 Glendale Pl SE	Smyrna	30080	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6810	276	35	7.8	92.4%	11 (4.0%)	59 (21.4%)	198 (71.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	32.2	803^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	35.7%		30.9	820^th of 1242 public elementary schools	34.0%	17	20.9	15.9	34.0	44.2	29.5	38.3	31.9	$14,666	$628	$14,038
Sanders Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1550 Anderson Mill Rd	Austell	30106	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 819-2568	619	54	11.4	91.1%	35 (5.7%)	349 (56.4%)	204 (33.0%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.7%)	33.8	790^th of 1248 public elementary schools	36.7%		24.7	923^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	25.7%	133	32.0	26.6	34.7	31.1	40.9	29.7	28.7	$11,597	$705	$10,891
Dunleith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Saine Dr SW	Marietta	30008	Cobb County	Marietta City	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 429-3190	556	55	10.2	88.7%	27 (4.9%)	285 (51.3%)	219 (39.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	44.9	629^th of 1248 public elementary schools	49.6%		54.7	511^th of 1242 public elementary schools	58.9%	118	34.4	41.1	35.9	44.1	56.2	30.8	20.5	$12,785	$911	$11,874

Frequently Asked Questions about Birney Elementary School

How many students attend Birney Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 686 students attended Birney Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Birney Elementary School?

Students at Birney Elementary School are 51% Hispanic, 38% African American, 4% Two or more races, 4% White, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Birney Elementary School attend?

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

High : Osborne High School

Is Birney Elementary School a good school?

Birney Elementary School ranks 818^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Birney Elementary School in?

Cobb County

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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.