Is Nickajack Elementary School a good school?

Nickajack Elementary School ranks 414 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Nickajack Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,191 students attended Nickajack Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Nickajack Elementary School?

Students at Nickajack Elementary School are 53% African American, 23% White, 10% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Nickajack Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Nickajack Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Campbell Middle School High : Campbell High School

Nickajack Elementary School

Summary:

Nickajack Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Smyrna, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 1,111 students. It is part of the Cobb County School District, which is ranked 52 out of 203 school districts in Georgia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Nickajack Elementary has received a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger in recent years, with its highest ranking being 334 out of 1,244 Georgia elementary schools in the 2021-2022 school year.

Nickajack Elementary consistently outperforms the Cobb County and Georgia state averages in the Milestones Assessment for English Language Arts and Mathematics across grades 3-5. For example, in 2023-2024, Nickajack's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate was 55%, compared to 48.2% for Cobb County and 38.4% for Georgia. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.3 to 15.2 over the past three school years, which is lower than the ratios of many nearby schools. Additionally, Nickajack Elementary has a lower percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients (around 30%) compared to several nearby schools, such as Belmont Hills Elementary (88.89%), Norton Park Elementary (80.24%), and Russell Elementary (70.86%).

One of the nearby schools, King Springs Elementary, is a high-performing school that consistently outperforms Nickajack Elementary across all test subjects and grade levels. In 2023-2024, King Springs had 58.4% of 3rd-graders proficient in ELA, compared to 55% at Nickajack. This provides a useful benchmark for Nickajack to strive towards. Additionally, Nickajack Elementary's per-student spending has increased from $9,034 in 2016-2017 to $9,660 in 2018-2019, which is in line with the Cobb County district average and may have contributed to the school's consistent performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4555 Mavell Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30082

(678) 842-5814

District: Cobb County

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,660

Students who attend Nickajack Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Campbell Middle School
High:	Campbell High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 1,191

Racial breakdown:

African American:

53.0%

White:

23.4%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.3%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Nickajack Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Nickajack Elementary School ranks better than 66.8% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 31^st among 64 ranked elementary schools in the Cobb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.74. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Nickajack Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cobb County School District. Racial makeup is: African American (53%), White (23.4%), Hispanic (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Nickajack Elementary School is 14.8. 63 elementary schools in the Cobb County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Nickajack Elementary School employs 80.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Nickajack Elementary School is $9,660. 58 elementary schools in the Cobb County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Nickajack 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 Nickajack Elementary School.

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Your rating for Nickajack Elementary School?

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Rank History for Nickajack Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	45.16	697^th	1101	36.7%
2007	57.47	542^nd	1125	51.8%
2008	58.85	514^th	1134	54.7%
2009	59.08	506^th	1133	55.3%
2010	47.32	733^rd	1183	38.0%
2011	50.85	699^th	1212	42.3%
2012	51.50	707^th	1201	41.1%
2013	60.27	594^th	1225	51.5%
2014	48.91	758^th	1231	38.4%
2015	56.70	488^th	1240	60.6%
2016	56.12	480^th	1233	61.1%
2017	60.92	417^th	1205	65.4%
2018	53.64	512^th	1209	57.7%
2019	61.73	433^rd	1234	64.9%
2021	64.91	386^th	1214	68.2%
2022	71.04	334^th	1244	73.2%
2023	64.83	400^th	1242	67.8%
2024	63.74	414^th	1248	66.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.9)

86%

14%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, July 24, 2017

I love Nickajack! I have 2 boys... going into our 4th year. Teachers, PTA, Foundation and the Parents are all awesome. My boys ride the school bus, eat at school, attend ASP (after school), love the clubs. I was worried about public school in Georgia but Nickajack is a wonderful place to send your children. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, August 3, 2013

There's something to be said when teachers allow their children to be taught at their school of employment... Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, January 20, 2012

My son has just completed the first half of Kindergarten at Nickajack. Let me highlight just a few things that have impressed me:

- Reading: the teachers have been working VERY well with the children on their reading skills. My son is now beyond 1st grade level and progressing every week. For a while, I could not believe how quickly he was progressing. This was my top priority going into the school year and I am very happy - more than I was even hoping for.

- Math: let's just put it this way, he is already doing multiplication (he has done 7 x 7 but I can't remember if he's done higher than that). I am not sure if match is getting as much focus as reading (which makes sense to me, since reading is the foundation for everything else) but for a kindergartener to be doing so well in match is quite encouraging

- After School Program (ASP): My wife and I both work so our son doesn't ride the bus home, but he stays at ASP until we can pick him up (closes at 6 PM). There are lots of adults there and they have various activities for the kids to enjoy

- Administration: we have never had any trouble getting in touch with the administration to discuss any issue and we have even been able to arrive un-announced and still have face-to-face meetings with them.

- Other - Okay, so, this is crazy. There is a chess club for an hour each week where they learn the basic strategies of chess. I am playing chess with my five year old on the weekends. Seriously. I mean you can't make this stuff up.

If you have any questions about this, call me at 404-941-4538. If I can't answer right away, leave a message with what you are calling about and I will call you back as soon as I can. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The principal and teachers at Nickajack have surpassed my expectations! After several years at private school, we decided to take a chance on the public school. I was worried that my children would "backtrack" in public school but they are actually being more challenged because the school is required to take each child at their current level, and then push them to go farther. The teachers quickly started finding supplemental services for my children to keep them progressing at a "private school" pace. Mrs. Parks, the principal, is really a class act and the PTA and foundation are very strong. The foundation (only in its 2nd year) has already paid for 2 years of a computer lab instructor. I can only imagine that more "extras" will be in the future. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Amazing principal, great teachers - Behavior at school by the kids is great - check out those quiet halls! This is year 2 and we're happy! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Nickajack Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	178	232	7	13	7	n/a	n/a	0	437
2000	220	266	9	21	11	n/a	n/a	0	527
2001	213	335	17	23	9	n/a	n/a	0	597
2002	242	444	23	37	7	n/a	n/a	0	753
2003	242	444	23	37	7	n/a	n/a	0	753
2004	233	481	22	41	7	n/a	n/a	0	784
2005	194	506	24	49	11	n/a	n/a	38	822
2006	192	535	29	33	8	n/a	n/a	45	842
2007	173	488	31	42	5	n/a	n/a	51	790
2008	142	378	44	25	2	n/a	n/a	47	638
2009	183	404	55	39	4	n/a	n/a	46	731
2010	226	450	53	60	4	1	0	0	794
2011	263	441	43	72	2	1	58	0	880
2012	330	462	38	65	2	3	60	0	960
2013	341	523	59	73	1	2	47	0	1046
2014	327	577	48	71	2	0	47	0	1072
2015	319	618	44	99	6	0	40	0	1126
2016	266	590	42	94	2	0	53	0	1047
2017	271	585	40	99	2	0	61	0	1058
2018	243	685	50	88	2	0	55	0	1123
2019	274	672	59	89	2	1	66	0	1163
2020	303	655	59	92	3	0	75	0	1187
2021	269	619	46	108	5	0	84	0	1131
2022	274	608	47	120	4	0	92	0	1145
2023	262	588	52	100	4	0	105	0	1111
2024	279	631	54	119	1	0	107	0	1191

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 Nickajack Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	437	31.8	13.7	33.6
2000	527	37.5	14.1	38.1
2001	597	44.8	13.3	32.8
2002	753	51.3	14.7	40
2003	753	51.3	14.7	40
2004	784	54.5	14.4	41.7
2005	822	56.6	14.5	48
2006	842	53.5	15.7	49.4
2007	790	56.0	14.1	49.9
2008	638	52.5	12.2	48.7
2009	731	56.0	13.1	42.5
2010	794	58.5	13.5	38.7
2011	880	63.0	13.9	43.9
2012	960	62.6	15.3	39.6
2013	1046	64.0	16.3	40.4
2014	1072	69.0	15.5	39.7
2015	1126	75.0	15.0	40.5
2016	1047	74.0	14.1	40.1
2017	1058	75.4	14.0	38.8
2018	1123	77.4	14.5	37.2
2019	1163	79.0	14.7	34.9
2020	1187	80.0	14.8	31.4
2021	1131	76.2	14.8	28.8
2022	1145	74.9	15.2	n/a
2023	1111	77.5	14.3	32.3
2024	1191	80.1	14.8	42.3

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 Nickajack Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	437	31.8	13.7	33.6
2000	527	37.5	14.1	38.1
2001	597	44.8	13.3	32.8
2002	753	51.3	14.7	40
2003	753	51.3	14.7	40
2004	784	54.5	14.4	41.7
2005	822	56.6	14.5	48
2006	842	53.5	15.7	49.4
2007	790	56.0	14.1	49.9
2008	638	52.5	12.2	48.7
2009	731	56.0	13.1	42.5
2010	794	58.5	13.5	38.7
2011	880	63.0	13.9	43.9
2012	960	62.6	15.3	39.6
2013	1046	64.0	16.3	40.4
2014	1072	69.0	15.5	39.7
2015	1126	75.0	15.0	40.5
2016	1047	74.0	14.1	40.1
2017	1058	75.4	14.0	38.8
2018	1123	77.4	14.5	37.2
2019	1163	79.0	14.7	34.9
2020	1187	80.0	14.8	31.4
2021	1131	76.2	14.8	28.8
2022	1145	74.9	15.2	n/a
2023	1111	77.5	14.3	32.3
2024	1191	80.1	14.8	42.3

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 Nickajack Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$270 (3.0%)	$8,764 (97.0%)	$9,034
2018	$290 (3.1%)	$9,019 (96.9%)	$9,308
2019	$255 (2.6%)	$9,406 (97.4%)	$9,660

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Nickajack 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 433^rd of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 400^th of 1242 Elementary schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nickajack Elementary School)	47.8	50	2.2%
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 (Nickajack Elementary School)	54.8	51	3.8%
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 (Nickajack Elementary School)	43.4	48	4.6%
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 (Nickajack Elementary School)	53.8	49.2	4.6%
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 (Nickajack Elementary School)	53.4	46.7	6.7%
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 (Nickajack Elementary School)	43.1	37.6	5.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	47.2	44.2	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Nickajack Elementary School)	42	34.8	7.2%
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	1163	1111	4.5%
African American	672	588	12.5%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	59	52	11.9%
Hispanic	89	100	12.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	274	262	4.4%
Two or More Races	66	105	59.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	34.9%	32.3%	2.6%

Schools Near Nickajack 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
Nickajack Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4555 Mavell Rd SE	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 842-5814	1,191	80	14.8	42.3%	279 (23.4%)	631 (53.0%)	119 (10.0%)	54 (4.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (9.0%)	63.7	414^th of 1248 public elementary schools	66.8%		64.8	400^th of 1242 public elementary schools	67.8%	14	55.0	47.1	52.2	51.1	56.5	36.8	33.0	$9,660	$255	$9,406
King Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1041 Reed Rd SE	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 842-6944	1,103	83	13.2	28.8%	504 (45.7%)	338 (30.6%)	111 (10.1%)	52 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (8.8%)	88	154^th of 1248 public elementary schools	87.7%		85.7	174^th of 1242 public elementary schools	86.0%	20	58.4	59.5	74.4	62.2	70.6	59.9	62.2	$9,184	$189	$8,996
Teasley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3640 Spring Hill Rd SE	Smyrna	30080	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 437-5945	973	67	14.5	39.1%	205 (21.1%)	396 (40.7%)	79 (8.1%)	193 (19.8%)	10 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (9.2%)	73.4	298^th of 1248 public elementary schools	76.1%		69.9	334^th of 1242 public elementary schools	73.1%	36	49.1	52.0	64.6	52.5	56.1	50.7	44.5	$9,475	$193	$9,282
Amana Academy West Atlanta	Public, Charter	K-8	5540 North Allen Rd SE	Mableton	30126	Cobb County	State Specialty Schools II- Amana Academy West Atlanta	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(478) 624-0989	206	19	10.8	26.7%	22 (10.7%)	155 (75.2%)	10 (4.9%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.3%)	76.6	272^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	78.2%					(n/a)	62.2	58.8		59.5	41.2
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
Argyle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2420 Spring Rd SE	Smyrna	30080	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6800	309	37	8.3	93.2%	13 (4.2%)	123 (39.8%)	157 (50.8%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	22	982^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	21.3%		23.5	945^th of 1242 public elementary schools	23.9%	37	27.8	15.5	33.3	30.8	29.3	19.0	14.3	$16,729	$842	$15,887
Smyrna Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1099 Fleming St SE	Smyrna	30080	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6741	876	74	11.8	63.0%	202 (23.1%)	325 (37.1%)	264 (30.1%)	23 (2.6%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (6.6%)	55.8	494^th of 1248 public elementary schools	60.4%		53.7	519^th of 1242 public elementary schools	58.2%	25	48.5	36.6	51.0	47.8	52.2	37.0	30.1	$10,100	$587	$9,513
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
KIPP Soul Primary	Public, Charter	K-4	1445 Maynard Rd NW	Atlanta	30331	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 759-6852	410	27	15.1	94.9%	0 (0.0%)	401 (97.8%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	12.7	1145^th of 1248 public elementary schools	8.3%		12.2	1138^th of 1242 public elementary schools	8.4%	7	14.8	14.7		17.3	22.7			$20,864	$806	$20,058

Nickajack Elementary School

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Rank History for Nickajack Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Nickajack Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Nickajack Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Nickajack Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Nickajack Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Nickajack Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Nickajack Elementary School